A phone call from what appeared on call display to be the Regina Police Service has resulted in a warning about a phone scam in the city.
In a media release, police say they received a report Monday of a scam that started with their phone number (306-777-6500) showing up on a resident’s call display.
The complainant said the caller claimed to be a Regina police constable who said they had been notified by the Canada Revenue Agency that the person’s social insurance number had been compromised. That had resulted in fraudulent bank accounts being opened in the person’s name and a fraud investigation had been launched.
The caller then transferred the person to a “CRA agent,” who asked the person to go to the bank and withdraw money from their accounts.
The complainant was suspicious and called their bank for confirmation. After the bank said the call was a scam, the police were called.
In the release, the police reminded residents not to give personal or financial information to anyone over the phone, and that technology allows scammers to mimic anybody’s phone number on caller ID.
Anyone who has been a victim of a caller ID scam or any other fraud should call the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500.