Delta Police are warning the public to beware of scammers after a new Canadian resident paid $6,000 to someone impersonating an officer on the phone.
Police said in a statement Friday the victim had saved the money while working at a local fast food restaurant for six months.
The scammer then instructed the woman to purchase $6,000 in bitcoin, which police said she did at a machine in Surrey.
Police now want to use the woman’s story as an example to others.
“Canadian police officers will never call you and ask for or demand payment,” Delta Police spokesperson Cpl. Cris Leykauf said. “If this happens to you, it is a scam. Hang up immediately.”
Police say the scammer’s number appeared to come from the Department of Services Canada, which was likely done through one of several apps that spoof phone numbers.
Delta Police’s non-emergency number has been used in a similar way by scammers in the past, Leykauf added.
Police say bitcoin deposits are not traceable and can be accessed by fraudsters around the world, making the likelihood of catching this scammer and recovering the woman’s money difficult.
Delta’s warning comes just a day after Vancouver police said they’ve seen a rise in reports of scammers impersonating officers in that city.
In those cases, which use a variation of the old Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam, the fake officer tells the victim that their social insurance number has been used to create credit card accounts with large balances.
The victim is told that they are responsible for paying off the debt, and are told to do it with Bitcoin or gift cards.
No matter where they are, police say anyone who thinks they may be targeted by a fraudster should hang up immediately and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.