RENFREW COUNTY — There are many sophisticated frauds and scams in Canada. There are frauds which attempt to mimic real federal government services to gain access to personal and financial information.
The Killaloe Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, (OPP) has received several calls from concerned community residents in relation to a scam which involves a phone call, or a recorded message received from Service Canada. In this scam, the caller advises that there is a warrant for your arrest, and suggests that you should speak with an officer to clear the matter. Once you engage with the caller, personal information such as social insurance numbers (SIN) numbers, and credit card information is shared. The caller may ask you to complete a financial transaction.
You should remain vigilant when anyone claiming to be from Service Canada, or any other government agencies contact you. Service Canada will only send you information you have requested and notifications through services for which you have signed up for. Never give out personal information unless you have verified the source and the person asking for it is legally entitled to that information. For more information please visit: the Canadian Anti-Fraud centre online at www.antifraudcentre.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
