Toronto police warn of scam calls from fraudsters claiming to be police officers
Some scammers target Chinese community using fake video calls with fake Chinese police
Toronto police are warning the public about a rise in scam calls from fraudsters claiming to be police officers and using police phone numbers.
In a news release on Friday, police said the call display name from the scammers will often be "Toronto Police."
The scammer will say they are a police officer and tell the person who answered the call that their information has been compromised or their identity has been stolen, police said.
Police said the scammers will claim the person is wanted by police and demand payment in BitCoin to fix the situation.
Many police forces and government agencies are reporting the same type of spoof scam calls, according to police.
Some calls targeting Chinese community: police
Police said some of the scammers are targeting the Chinese community, using apparent video calls involving fake Chinese police.
"The Toronto Police Service will never contact you by telephone and make any demands for payment of any kind," police said in the release.
"Do not provide any personal information or banking details to anyone over the telephone. Do not provide any copies of your passport or other identification. Do not transfer funds overseas, including cryptocurrency, in response to demands made over the telephone."
In the calls targeting the Chinese community, police said the scammer identifies themselves as a Toronto police officer and tells the person they are suspected of being involved in a crime in China.
The person is then told to do a video call with someone claiming to be a police officer from China. They are threatened with deportation or arrest and told to send money for an investigation to be completed.
The person is also told to provide information about their personal identity as well as bank account and credit card information.
If you have provided personal information or banking details to anyone, police say to call a credit agency such as TransUnion Canada or Equifax, and have their accounts monitored.
"It is recommended that anyone receiving a call, in which personal information or money is requested, to hang up, look up the official agency phone number and call them directly to ensure you're speaking to a legitimate representative," police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-2300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).