Police in Peterborough say they have received “hundreds” of complaints from residents expressing concerns about a new phone scam seeking personal information.
According to the Peterborough Police Service, over the last few days, residents have been receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be with Service Ontario or the Canada Revenue Agency requesting social insurance numbers.
“The scammers are often threatening victims with arrest if they do not provide their SIN number and other personal information,” police stated Tuesday. “The fraudsters can be very convincing and the scams extremely sophisticated and elaborate.”
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Police are reminding people to be vigilant about any call that requests personal information over the phone.
“We remind residents to never give any personal information over the phone or through email or text, especially your SIN number, credit card number, passport number or any banking information, before confirming the identity of the caller,” police stated.
“If you didn’t initiate the call, you don’t know who you’re talking to.”
Police advise to hang up and to call your bank, a family member or a trusted friend before disclosing any personal information or making a payment over the phone, through email or via text.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, contact the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or online, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online. For more information on how to protect yourself from frauds and scams, visit the government of Canada or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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