NEWS RELEASE
TIMMINS POLICE SERVICE
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The Timmins Police Service is issuing a “fraud advisory” in regards to a recent spate of calls fraudulently advising call recipients that a government agency has intercepted a package addressed to the call recipient containing drugs and cash at a border crossing.
The call recipient is then asked to take part in necessary steps to avoid further legal entanglements, prosecution or possible incarceration. A number of astute and concerned citizens have alerted the Timmins Police that this “phishing campaign” is actively underway in the Timmins area by means of using three digit phone exchanges common to the Timmins area.
This is a fraud campaign designed to retrieve personal information or illicit funds from unsuspecting victims who might be falsely lured into cooperating with the authorities. The originators of such calls are the farthest thing from legitimate authority figures. Here again and as always, unless you are the person who has initiated the phone call or internet conversation, the need for heightened suspicion as to the intent and legitimacy of any call of this nature is required.
In short, as a matter of Canadian law, if any such package were intercepted, local law enforcement would be made aware. This is simply not the case in this instance. These fraudsters can be insistent, persistent and, in certain cases, intimidating in order to have persons comply with their wishes or provide personal information or banking details.
Should calls of this nature be received, the best course of action is to simply ignore the call, hang up, and report the matter to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-9501 or at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
The Timmins Police Service is well aware of this recent and ongoing campaign and urge all recipients to follow the advice provided above
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