The Jasper RCMP wants the public to be aware of a recent spike in tele-market scam phone calls in our community.
There have been increased reports of victims being contacted over the phone by individuals claiming to be a part of the Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Border Services, or other government agencies. These individuals will claim that the victim has a warrant for arrest or owes fees to the government for various reasons. These scam phone calls can feature numerous different deceptions and ploys to obtain money or personal information from victims.
Government Agencies will never ask for your Social Insurance Number over the phone. If you do have concerns providing other personal information over the phone to someone claiming to be from the government, make sure to question them in regards to why the information is necessary and what it will be used for. If you still do not feel comfortable with providing personal information over the phone, hang up immediately.
Government agencies will also not ask for payment over the phone that includes purchasing items such as gift cards and sending related codes over email. If there are any concerns in regards to a phone call that you believe is fraudulent or you are asked to provide money over the phone and are not sure whether it is legitimate, please hang up and contact the RCMP to verify.
Anyone with information in relation to this or any other crime is asked to contact the Jasper RCMP at 780-852-4421 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS)
Submitted by Jasper RCMP
