‘When a scammer calls’: Warning issued as fraudsters impersonate WRPS

It’s a classic horror movie trope: a ringing phone.

These days, more people are feeling fearful when they hear their phone ringing because more often, it’s a fraudster calling.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is warning of a new scam making the rounds.

Police said individuals are using caller ID spoofing technology to make it seem like the call is coming from the service’s non-emergency line: 519-570-9777.

In one case, a Wilmot man picked up and the scammer identified themselves using a legitimate investigator with the WRPS Fraud Unit. The impersonator then claimed the man’s bank accounts had been linked to criminal activity and told him not to hang up, or his accounts would be frozen.

Luckily, the Wilmot man did not sustain any financial losses, the press release notes.

Police continue to investigate the spoofing scam and are advising the public that they would never make threatening phone calls to demand money or personal information.

If you have been the victim of one of these scams, report it online or by phoning 519-570-9777.

More safety tips are posted below.

• Do not trust what appears on your caller ID display. When in doubt, hang up the phone, find the phone number of the legitimate agency and call them to verify the information provided.
• Never provide personal identity information, such as your address, banking information, Social Insurance Number (SIN) or passwords, over the phone.
• Use a caller ID spoofing app which can help you identify and block spoofed calls.