The Thunder Bay Police Service’s non-emergency line has been receiving a high volume of complaints regarding calls from suspected fraudsters.
A recent complainant stated they were contacted by an individual claiming to be with the RCMP. The caller requested the victim place funds into a bank account to pay off owed fees. Another complainant stated they received a call from a representative of an organization. This caller stated they needed the would-be victim to verify their Social Insurance Number.
The Thunder Bay Police Service would like to remind residents to be skeptical of any unsolicited phone calls, emails, or home visits by any organization, financial or government institution. You have the right to hang up the phone, delete emails, or close your door.
If you believe the caller may be legitimate, find the contact information of the company or institution they purport to be associated with independently. Then contact the organization to follow-up on the claims. Never use the contact information provided to you by the suspected fraudster.
International Students who may be unfamiliar with Canadian laws and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of scam. Please take time to speak to those you know who may be more at-risk of being victimized by scams.
Never call 9-1-1 to report a suspected scam.
If you receive a call from a suspected scammer, but avoided being victimized, please do not call the non-emergency line. Unfortunately, the Thunder Bay Police Service is unable to stop these calls from being made.
For more information about protecting yourself from such scams please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/