KELOWNA – RCMP are warning residents about a recent rash of cold-call scams in the Central Okanagan. Police say the caller uses high-pressure tactics to get victims to wire over money.
Kelowna RCMP Constable Kris Clark says the scam artists pretend to be someone the victim knows, like a friend or family member, or purport to be a lawyer calling on behalf of the person they know who is in trouble and needs money. They may also claim to be calling on behalf of a company you deal with to collect “overdue” bill payments. Police say the callers use pressure to convince the people they are calling to give them money quickly before they have time to change their minds.
“If someone calls you, verify the company name, address and phone number using your phone book or computer, ” says Clark. “If you can’t find them, it’s a scam.”
Police say if the person calling claims to be your friend or family, regardless 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.
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