Beware of scammers, police warn Nelson area residents
By Nelson Daily Staff
Nelson Police is advising the public to be cautious of scammers after the department recently received several complaints from concerned citizens.
In a media release, Nelson Police said scammers are pretending to be calling from the Canada Revenue Agency, credit card company or US Federal Reserve Bank.
“There are many variations of these scams out there,” Nelson Police said.
“Always think before you provide personal information to anyone.”
The CRA scam tells the victim there is a warrant out for their arrest.
“The caller can be forceful and intimidating, sometimes pretending to be a police officer,” NPD said.
“Payment for outstanding taxes is then negotiated with the victim to avoid being arrested.”
The Credit Card scam involves the person being told their account has been used.
“The victim is asked to log into their computer to verify their identification and their identity is then compromised,” NPD said.
Nelson Police said the other scam making the rounds involves the US Federal Reserve Bank.
“The caller wants to confirm the victim’s identity as they are entitled to a large sum of money,” NPD said.
“Again, this is an attempt to compromise (the person’s) identity.”
NPD said scams can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
“The Centre is also an excellent resource with ideas on how to protect people and can provide guidance if people have become a victim of a scam.”
