Community Articles
General News · 9th January 2020
Ester
Recently, there have been a lot of people on Cortes receiving calls from phone numbers with area codes that they recognize from friends and family (604, 203 etc) but find out they are scammers calling. We are used to not picking up when it's a 122 or 188 # (those with call display anyway) but they are getting more sophisticated by the day. Phone spoofing is getting very common — they are faking the phone number they are actually calling from to make it look official (RCMP, CRA etc.)
So PLEASE remember:
- Service Canada does not issue arrest warrants
- Revenue Canada does not arrest people
- You don't get emails from your bank requesting information
- If somebody calls you, never give out your credit card # or debit # even if you bought something at the store they claim to call from
- You don't get e-transfers from strangers
- You are not all of a sudden in legal trouble
- The federal government does not call with request for information
- Amazon doesn't call you either, your package will just not arrive
- You did not win an amazing prize out of the blue
- Please stop sharing your favourite pet name, your mother's maiden name and the city you were born in on social media fun posts and use the same answers on your secret security questions when it comes to banking. Bad combo. And if you have to share your own, go ahead, but at least stop asking your friends to do the same.
- Don't answer "yes" if a stranger calls and asks if you can hear them, say "I can hear you" if you think it's a friend with a cold and you really want to talk back, or just hang up.
I can go on and on: don't share private information, don't share anything to anyone that has no business finding out that information over the phone. If you really think it is legitimate, ask for their name and number and call the institution directly on their business line (find it online: Banks, CRA, RCMP, Service Canada etc, don't use the # they gave you) They will send you a letter if they need to get a hold of you or they will send the RCP if you really are in trouble.
As the RCMP said before: There is always a new angle and they are relentless. They really are casting a wide net, waiting to find those people that respond. Please don't be one of them!
So PLEASE remember:
- Service Canada does not issue arrest warrants
- Revenue Canada does not arrest people
- You don't get emails from your bank requesting information
- If somebody calls you, never give out your credit card # or debit # even if you bought something at the store they claim to call from
- You don't get e-transfers from strangers
- You are not all of a sudden in legal trouble
- The federal government does not call with request for information
- Amazon doesn't call you either, your package will just not arrive
- You did not win an amazing prize out of the blue
- Please stop sharing your favourite pet name, your mother's maiden name and the city you were born in on social media fun posts and use the same answers on your secret security questions when it comes to banking. Bad combo. And if you have to share your own, go ahead, but at least stop asking your friends to do the same.
- Don't answer "yes" if a stranger calls and asks if you can hear them, say "I can hear you" if you think it's a friend with a cold and you really want to talk back, or just hang up.
I can go on and on: don't share private information, don't share anything to anyone that has no business finding out that information over the phone. If you really think it is legitimate, ask for their name and number and call the institution directly on their business line (find it online: Banks, CRA, RCMP, Service Canada etc, don't use the # they gave you) They will send you a letter if they need to get a hold of you or they will send the RCP if you really are in trouble.
As the RCMP said before: There is always a new angle and they are relentless. They really are casting a wide net, waiting to find those people that respond. Please don't be one of them!