The Thunder Bay Police Service is receiving a high volume of complaints about ongoing phone scams.
Complaints being received by local phone numbers state callers are asking for the last three digits of the target’s Social Insurance Number (SIN). The fraudster tells the target the SIN is connected to a crime and that if they cannot provide the number they’ll be contacted, and potentially arrested, by local police.
THIS IS A SCAM.
Never provide your SIN to a caller even if you cannot verify they are attempting to scam you. Remember caller IDs can be masked, so someone should not be trusted simply because they have a seemingly legitimate caller ID.
Instead, hang up and independently contact the institution in question. Do not use any contact information provided by the suspicious caller. Never provide payment to people who phone you, especially if they require payment through unique means like gift cards and pre-loaded credit cards.
The Thunder Bay Police Service is unable to stop these calls from being made. If you are concerned about potential scams and want to learn more please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/)
Do not call 911 if you received a call from a potential fraudster. Do not call the non-emergency line about attempted phone scams.
The Thunder Bay Police Service strongly encourages residents to speak with potentially vulnerable family members and friends about these ongoing scams. These would-be fraudsters are experts at creating a sense of urgency and panic. This panic leads to quick decisions, which oftentimes leads to success for the scammer.
The elderly and foreign students, who may have limited understanding about Canadian laws, are sometimes more aggressively targeted.