Barrie Police Helping You Recognize Scams

Rash of Sophisticated Scams Lately Prompts Warning From The Law

Barrie Police are renewing warnings about all the scams out there. They’re saying over the past year, law enforcement from across the province have become increasingly aware of very sophisticated financial crimes, including the Canada Revenue Agency scam. That’s the one where someone pretends to be the tax man demanding payment on an outstanding bill. Details of these sophisticated scams are posted below, but police encourage everyone to learn more about ongoing scams through the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre website. From Barrie Police:

“Tax Scams

  • The CRA has noted an increase in telephone scams where the caller claims to be from the CRA but is not. Beware – these calls are fraudulent and could result in identity and financial theft
  • The CRA takes these tax fraud schemes very seriously and actively warns Canadians about scams undertaken using the CRA’s name, especially during the tax filing season, when such scams peak. If you want to confirm the authenticity of a CRA telephone number, call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281

For more information about the security of taxpayer information and other examples of fraudulent communications, click here.

 Electrical Utilities Scams

  • Ontario’s electricity customers are targets for phone scammers.  These scammers tell people that they are from the local utility and use sophisticated software to show the utility’s name on a caller display.  Scammers threaten to disconnect customers if they don’t immediately pay by pre-paid credit card or wire transfer.
  • Scammers target people when they are most vulnerable, especially during holidays or peak business times.  Since July 2014, more than 500 people were targeted in Toronto alone.  A total of thirteen per cent of those incidents involved payments totaling $58,000.  Local utilities NEVER ask customers to pay by pre-paid credit card or wire transfers over the phone.   Local utilities NEVER threaten to disconnect you right away.
  • When in doubt, call your utility company and ask about their policy.  If someone calls and threatens to disconnect you if you don’t make a payment right away by pre-paid credit card or wire transfer, SAY NO and HANG UP!  NEVER give out your personal or financial information.

 Report the incident to your utility company and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. This agency collects information on fraud and works closely with police to solve these crimes.

Identity Theft

  • The theft of identity information such as “tombstone” data, employment information, banking particulars, and payment card data have become a highly saleable commodity that is easily trafficked via traditional means and through hundreds of websites on the “dark web.”
  • Identity information is obtained via Server/Computer Hacks, ATM/POS tampering, Phishing, Social Engineering, Complicit Government/Corporate Employees, Theft of Mail, and a host of other means. Once obtained, “Pirate” websites available on the dark web provide nearly unlimited access to such data to all takers.  Payment for the identity information is easily made via non-traditional, unregulated, online payment systems that offer participants the ability to traffic or purchase identity information for eventual exploitation.  Typical offences include: Account take-overs, true–name fraudulent credit applications, TM/POS tampering, and trafficking in identity information.”