The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) says they will not be calling you and asking for money.
Officials with the RCMP in London say the detachment's phone number was recently "spoofed" and used by fraudsters to call and coerce potential victims into providing them with their personal information.
Spoofing occurs when a caller identification is manipulated to show what appears to be a trusted phone number. A victim may pick up a spoofed call thinking the person on the line is with a legitimate source or organization.
The RCMP says callers have told some victims that they're under investigation by the RCMP and that they will be arrested unless they transfer them large amounts of money.
"Police services in Canada including the RCMP do not contact individuals via email or telephone for the purpose of collecting fines or money," read a release from the RCMP. "If you receive unsolicited calls that are coercive or threatening and claiming to be police or any other government department, don't panic don't react, hang up."
Fraudsters may use a variety of other telephone scams to create anxiety to get a victim to respond by sending money quickly in order to fix the problem. The RCMP is advising the public to not rely on call display as a way to authenticate who is calling.
If you or someone you know has received similar telephone calls, you should notify the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or by going on to its website.
