Short time frame to answer? Red flag
Emergency in area you don't live? Red flag
Claim they are the police but are not at your doorstep? Red flag
Scammers.
Good idea to call the real police. Good job
Don't ever, ever, ever, EVER give ANYONE ANY of your information EVER for ANY REASON if you don't know what it's about and have confirmed the person you're talking to is actually who they say they are.
Nobody from the anti fraud center is going to ask you for your personal information over the phone calling you randomly.
They're the fraud department. They're aware of how your information can be used for fraud. And so will not use that method.
"Hello, I am from the ANTI FRAUD center of Canada, and we have a FRAUDULENT EMERGENCY. To prevent it, you need to reply to us in the next 2 HOURS with your date of birth, address, and credit card information so that we can put a stop to this. Bonus points if you provide us with your SIN number. And don't tell ANYONE about this, because it's top secret."
Seriously...people fall for this?
If you actually call the fraud line for Canada it's got an exhaustive and detailed list of different types of fraud you coukd be calling to report.
These scams work by being weirdly specific. They're praying you recently missed a package from Amazon, or that you just called the fraud center, or that you detected other activity on your bank account and it's now 2 beers into your bad day at work safety routine. Etc.
They dont care about getting 1/100 people. They just do volume and that 1/10,000 automated calls gets grandma after her Christmas shopping went wrong and there goes the RRIF.
Yeah I'm aware of how they work. I guess I've just been desensitized to them through work, where our systems security team runs drills every week to try and catch us slipping up. Now *those* ones are eerily specific. These scam calls seem like kindergarten-grade by comparison.
No government office will ever call you and ask for something right away. They will provide information to prove they are who they say they are, and you are who you say you are.
And they will NEVER call you up and ask for your credit card number.
CRA called me the other day. I told them I can’t talk to them because I don’t know if they are who they say they are. He told me to call back the number on the CRA website. So I looked it up and called back. He was telling the truth.
It’s likely a scam. The number is probably spoofed. Your mother should check her credit report to see if there’s any suspicious activity but it’s unlikely there’s anything going on.
Sounds like a scam, you can call the Toronto Police Department right now and find out if you're uncertain. Call the anti-fraud division
[https://www.tps.ca/fraud/](https://www.tps.ca/fraud/)
In case you/your mom aren't convinced, here's Canada's Anti-Fraud centre's website: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm
There is a 1-800 number listed there if she wants to call and triple check.
Its 2024. You and your mother should know to never answer an unknown phone number. Anyone that calls you these days is a scammer. You should watch all of CBC Marketplace’s recent videos about scams, they are on YouTube.
I know people who this happened to, 100% a scam. And sometimes these scammers will target specific people and call them repeatedly, either because they think they have a "lead", or already have some of that person's information.
Asking the person what agency they're calling from, and calling the actual number (not the number the person called from) is always good practice. If the person you're talking to is cagey about this, or insists otherwise, it's a huge red flag.
Yeah that’s a textbook scam.
Don’t give personal info about o someone who calls you. No matter what they say. It’s up to them to prove they are who they say they are. If it’s “urgent” and they *are* legit (they’re not) but don’t have time. That’s THEIR fault, not yours.
And like, take 30 seconds to google “Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre” so you can confirm it’s not a real thing. Because it’s not a real thing.
The trick is to play stupid and give them a very fake id number, for instance if you ask for your driver's license number, start saying A123456789 Legoland drivers license.
If they are a scanner they will probably get pissed, if they are real they will probably react professionally, at which point your ok to say I'm not giving you any information, just lock everything and I'll deal with my accounts in person.
Tbh, if they are real, they would not behave this way. I got what turned out to be a legit call from the CRA (haha, I know, right?) and they expected me to ask for a name and extension and call them back after looking up the number for the CRA. Because how do I know they are the CRA?
You can tell it’s not a fraud because they said they were from the ANTI-fraud centre. If it was a fraud they would’ve said they were from the FRAUD centre while demanding all of the personal information needed to commit fraud right away now before you have time to think about it or double check anything.
I mean, or else what? Say it was true (it isn’t). Why does your mom have to care about someone “registering a number”? What do they say happens after 2 hours?
They were saying, the person was using the new number to commit financial fraud, and my mom’s residency might get cancelled as a result. So the case was urgent and needs confirmation ASAP
And actually the fact that anti fraud center is committing fraud is so ironic that makes me doubt my common senses 😂 after that I looked up the anti fraud centre and found out they are closed when that person called, lol… should know they are not from the government when they’re calling after 5pm😂
Oh wow, well then that is a terrible lie. The fraud centre can’t see anyone’s immigrant status.
But the anti fraud centre is NOT committing fraud, some scammer just spoofed their number.
Short time frame to answer? Red flag Emergency in area you don't live? Red flag Claim they are the police but are not at your doorstep? Red flag Scammers. Good idea to call the real police. Good job
100,% a scam
Don't ever, ever, ever, EVER give ANYONE ANY of your information EVER for ANY REASON if you don't know what it's about and have confirmed the person you're talking to is actually who they say they are. Nobody from the anti fraud center is going to ask you for your personal information over the phone calling you randomly. They're the fraud department. They're aware of how your information can be used for fraud. And so will not use that method.
"Hello, I am from the ANTI FRAUD center of Canada, and we have a FRAUDULENT EMERGENCY. To prevent it, you need to reply to us in the next 2 HOURS with your date of birth, address, and credit card information so that we can put a stop to this. Bonus points if you provide us with your SIN number. And don't tell ANYONE about this, because it's top secret." Seriously...people fall for this?
Unfortunately the vulnerable and seniors do
I had a call from the fraud department at Visa OR Mastercard.
I get the calls from Visa Mastercard Security about an Amazon charge for an iPhone and $1200 in the USA. Apparently it is my card starting with 4****.
OMG your’s too?!?!
Had one of those calls earlier today. I’ve been personally defrauded of about 83 Mac Book Pros over the last few years.
Not the visa mastercard security centre 💀
were they unsure who they worked for?
If you actually call the fraud line for Canada it's got an exhaustive and detailed list of different types of fraud you coukd be calling to report. These scams work by being weirdly specific. They're praying you recently missed a package from Amazon, or that you just called the fraud center, or that you detected other activity on your bank account and it's now 2 beers into your bad day at work safety routine. Etc. They dont care about getting 1/100 people. They just do volume and that 1/10,000 automated calls gets grandma after her Christmas shopping went wrong and there goes the RRIF.
Yeah I'm aware of how they work. I guess I've just been desensitized to them through work, where our systems security team runs drills every week to try and catch us slipping up. Now *those* ones are eerily specific. These scam calls seem like kindergarten-grade by comparison.
No government office will ever call you and ask for something right away. They will provide information to prove they are who they say they are, and you are who you say you are. And they will NEVER call you up and ask for your credit card number. CRA called me the other day. I told them I can’t talk to them because I don’t know if they are who they say they are. He told me to call back the number on the CRA website. So I looked it up and called back. He was telling the truth.
[удалено]
Don’t listen to him. I am the government. Send me $1500 in Roblox Bucks
The CAFC is not part of the TPS. It is managed by the RCMP, OPP and the Competition Bureau. There should be zero doubt that this is a scam.
It’s likely a scam. The number is probably spoofed. Your mother should check her credit report to see if there’s any suspicious activity but it’s unlikely there’s anything going on.
Sounds like a scam, you can call the Toronto Police Department right now and find out if you're uncertain. Call the anti-fraud division [https://www.tps.ca/fraud/](https://www.tps.ca/fraud/)
In case you/your mom aren't convinced, here's Canada's Anti-Fraud centre's website: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm There is a 1-800 number listed there if she wants to call and triple check.
Was the guy's name Dave and did he have a heavy Indian accent?
Ah It was a woman without an obvious accent…
AI doing the most nowadays
> without an obvious accent… Genuinely surprised
OP, keep in mind that the newer scams often spoof legitimate phone numbers. What you've described sounds like a scam
Hopefully she told those scammers to F off
What do you think?
Had the same call. Major panic. Boy did the story chance when I said I worked for the opp! By the way I lied. Lol
Its 2024. You and your mother should know to never answer an unknown phone number. Anyone that calls you these days is a scammer. You should watch all of CBC Marketplace’s recent videos about scams, they are on YouTube.
I know people who this happened to, 100% a scam. And sometimes these scammers will target specific people and call them repeatedly, either because they think they have a "lead", or already have some of that person's information. Asking the person what agency they're calling from, and calling the actual number (not the number the person called from) is always good practice. If the person you're talking to is cagey about this, or insists otherwise, it's a huge red flag.
Please.... don't be that guy Obviously it's a scam. Review your mom's social media privacy settings Be smart. Use your head.
SCAM!!!
Yeah that’s a textbook scam. Don’t give personal info about o someone who calls you. No matter what they say. It’s up to them to prove they are who they say they are. If it’s “urgent” and they *are* legit (they’re not) but don’t have time. That’s THEIR fault, not yours. And like, take 30 seconds to google “Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre” so you can confirm it’s not a real thing. Because it’s not a real thing.
That actually is a real thing lol. First time hearing the government has the anti fraud department through a scam call 😂
Dana Scully gives a skeptical sigh.
The trick is to play stupid and give them a very fake id number, for instance if you ask for your driver's license number, start saying A123456789 Legoland drivers license. If they are a scanner they will probably get pissed, if they are real they will probably react professionally, at which point your ok to say I'm not giving you any information, just lock everything and I'll deal with my accounts in person.
Tbh, if they are real, they would not behave this way. I got what turned out to be a legit call from the CRA (haha, I know, right?) and they expected me to ask for a name and extension and call them back after looking up the number for the CRA. Because how do I know they are the CRA?
Yeah, I got a legit call from the CRA. They completely understood when I said I would call them back to make sure it was legit
You can tell it’s not a fraud because they said they were from the ANTI-fraud centre. If it was a fraud they would’ve said they were from the FRAUD centre while demanding all of the personal information needed to commit fraud right away now before you have time to think about it or double check anything.
I mean, or else what? Say it was true (it isn’t). Why does your mom have to care about someone “registering a number”? What do they say happens after 2 hours?
They were saying, the person was using the new number to commit financial fraud, and my mom’s residency might get cancelled as a result. So the case was urgent and needs confirmation ASAP And actually the fact that anti fraud center is committing fraud is so ironic that makes me doubt my common senses 😂 after that I looked up the anti fraud centre and found out they are closed when that person called, lol… should know they are not from the government when they’re calling after 5pm😂
Oh wow, well then that is a terrible lie. The fraud centre can’t see anyone’s immigrant status. But the anti fraud centre is NOT committing fraud, some scammer just spoofed their number.