CUT KNIFE - Cut Knife RCMP are warning the public of fraudulent telephone calls claiming to originate from a Canadian banking institution.
Cut Knife RCMP was notified that a resident received a suspicious phone call that came from a 1-800 phone number. The caller misrepresented themself as an employee at a Canadian banking institution and told the victim that a suspicious transaction was flagged on their account. The caller knew the victim’s birthday and the dollar amounts in their accounts. The caller said they were going to lower the victim’s transfer limits to prevent further transactions occurring on their account and in order to do so, the victim would need to send themselves an e-transfer and provide the caller with the transaction details.
This call was not from a bank. If you receive such a call, police are advising residents to hang up immediately. Do not provide any information to the caller.
The Saskatchewan RCMP reminds members of the public to:
- Never give out personal information like your name, address, SIN or banking information over unsolicited calls or emails.
- Use strong passwords for online accounts.
- Do your research. If someone is asking you for money or payment, make sure they are who they say they are. Watch out for fraudsters that are spoofing companies or organizations.
- If you are unsure if an incoming call is from your banking institution or a fraudster, hang up and call your local bank using a familiar phone number to confirm the information you were told about your account is accurate.
- Don’t be afraid to say no! Don’t be intimidated by high-pressure sales tactics or requests to send money right away. Walk away or hang up the phone.
- Anyone can become a victim of fraud. You are not alone. Police say fraudsters can be "very convincing, relentless in their achieving their goal and target people’s emotions and kindness."
If you receive a similar telephone call, please contact your local police at 310-RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through its website here.
