Taber RCMP warn residents of 'spoofed' calls from their detachment
RCMP in Taber are warning residents to be wary of calls that appear to be from their detachment, saying their phone number is being "spoofed" by fraudsters.
Spoofing is a tactic where caller displays are manipulated to show the phone number from a trusted source.
RCMP said the fraudulent calls that appear to be from them are used to try to coerce victims into giving out personal info like their social insurance number.
"These callers are also telling some of the victims that they are under investigation by the RCMP and that they will be arrested unless they transfer large amounts of money within the next few hours," a news release said.
RCMP say not to use caller ID as a way to authenticate who is calling.
"If you receive unsolicited calls that are coercive or threatening and claiming to be police or any other government department, don't panic, don't react, and please hang up," RCMP said.
"Police services in Canada including the RCMP do not contact individuals via email or telephone for the purpose of collecting fines or money."
Anyone who has been victimized by a fraudulent call is asked to call their local police or RCMP detachment and to report it to their financial institution.
Residents can also forward the information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through its website.
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