NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
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South Simcoe Police Service would like to make the public aware of a current scam circulating in our communities.
Fraudsters posing as police or Service Ontario representatives are calling residents and threatening potential victims with arrest and jail if they don't comply with demands. The callers instruct victims to buy gift cards to avoid arrest and possibly try to obtain personal information such as your social insurance number.
Follow this great advice from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre:
- Don't be afraid to say no!
- Don't be intimidated by high-pressure sales tactics.
If a caller tries to get you to buy something or to send them money right away - even if they claim to be police - you have a couple of easy options:
- Request the information in writing
- Hang up
- Watch out for urgent pleas that play on your emotions.
Report fraud to police and the Canadian Ant-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website to learn more about the latest scams and how to protect yourself at AntiFraudCentre.ca.
Also check out the Competition Bureau's Little Black Book of Scams 2nd edition. It is available in multiple languages:
https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04333.html.
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