Toronto police are warning the public about an increase in the number of unsolicited phone calls from scammers identifying themselves as Toronto Police officers.
Investigators say those being targeted will often see “Toronto Police” displayed as the caller. The scammer will then identify themselves as a police officer and tell them that their information has been compromised and that paying a fee in Bitcoin will fix the problem.
Police say scammers are also targeting members of the Chinese community, pretending to be police officers and telling them that they are part of an ongoing investigation involving them in China.
In one instance, police say the victim is told to do a video call with a man who is seen wearing a police uniform and who identifies themselves as an officer from China. The victim is threatened with arrest or deportation, and they are asked to provide bank account and/or credit card information, and told to send money to resolve the investigation.
“The Toronto Police Service will never contact you by telephone and make any demands for payment of any kind,” police said in a release. “Do not provide any personal information or banking details to anyone over the telephone. Do not transfer funds overseas, including cryptocurrency, in response to demands made over the telephone.”
Police say anyone receiving a call in which personal information or money is requested, should hang up, look up the official agency phone number and call them directly to ensure you’re speaking to a legitimate representative.
