Police are warning the public after several recent reports of similar cold-call scams designed to pressure the victim into immediate action.
Family members in trouble; lawyers calling on behalf of family members in trouble; companies calling to collect ‘overdue’ bill payments; and the list goes on. Although different circumstances have been provided in many of the calls, the common theme is a caller claiming to be a person you know, for a person you know, or from a company you deal with. The reality is, the caller isn’t who they claim to be, and they are only calling you to pressure you into giving them money before you have time to think about what is happening.
High-pressure tactics are very common in cold-call scams, and can unfortunately be very effective, but can be completely defeated with a little due diligence.
“If someone calls you, verify the company name, address and phone number using your phone book or computer,” said Const. Kris Clark, in a press release. “If you can’t find them…it’s a scam. If the person calling claims to be your friend or family, regardless of how much they seem to know, always follow up by contacting that person directly with a verified number before taking any other action.”
Sending money by a wire service, or purchasing pre-paid credit cards are not the typical ways to pay for bills or legal fees, but are commonly used by scammers in order to protect their anonymity.
If you are a victim of fraud, contact your local police and report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by going to their website or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
