Scammers impersonated Calgary police officers in attempt to extort $135K
A recent phone scam where individuals impersonated Calgary police officers has prompted a warning from the real deal.
A man reported a suspicious phone call he received in late February where the person on the other end was trying to extort money from him, according to a Tuesday news release from the Calgary Police Service.
The victim said he answered the phone and the caller identified themselves as being from the Calgary Police Service.
They said they had arrested someone for using the victim’s bank card at a shopping centre. The victim was then directed to contact detective Mark Baldwin with the Calgary Police Service fraud unit – who doesn’t exist.
When the victim called the fictitious officer, he was told he needed to wire transfer $135,000 to a ghost account to protect the money in his tax-free savings account.
He was suspicious and contacted the bank immediately to report the incident. He did not lose any money.
“The Calgary Police Service will never call and ask citizens to provide financial information or transfer money,” police said in the news release.
Financial scam advice
The Calgary Police Service offered a few tips to help protect from financial scams.
- Be suspicious of unusual or unexpected phone calls that demand urgent action.
- Never share your personal details and financial information or send money to an unknown caller.
- Contact your bank or financial institution if you are suspicious of a call about your finances.
- You can call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line to verify the identity of an officer.
Police encouraged anyone who suffered a financial loss or had their personal information compromised due to fraud to call the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.
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