West Vancouver police are warning members of the public, both near and far, of scammers who appear to call from the department’s non-emergency line.
West Van police issued an advisory on Wednesday, making the public aware of the scam, which is affecting people as far away as Ontario.
In the swindle, potential victims are told over the phone that they are speaking to an officer with West Vancouver Police Department, and are given a fake name and badge number, WVPD said in a statement.
Many are then asked to download an app on their phone, putting themselves at significant risk, police said.
But police will never call members of the public from its non-emergency line. That phone number (604-925-7300) is used exclusively for local residents to report non-urgent police matters, WVPD said.
The department said it will never ask for bail money, bitcoin, gift cards or money transfers, and will not ask anyone to download smartphone apps.
This scheme is made possible with tools that allow scammers to spoof the caller ID system.
If you’re called by a spoofed police non-emergency number, don’t provide the scammers with any information, and hang up immediately.
“Do not call the ‘spoofed’ number back to inquire about missed calls,” WVPD said. “This inundates the non-emergency police line, delaying access for those who may need assistance.”
Police advise you to report the attempted fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, either online or toll free at 1-888-495-8501.
You can also visit westvanpolice.ca to file an online police report if you have been victimized.
You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if you have more information about this or other scams.
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