Steinbach RCMP are reporting that the detachment has started to receive calls from the public regarding a Social Insurance Number scam.
Police say that the scam involves receiving an automated message stating that their SIN card has been compromised and that they are to provide specific information as requested in the message.
RCMP report that the Anti-Fraud Centre is aware of the scam and offers the following tips:
- Don’t trust your call display. It may say “Police” or “ABC”, but in reality, it is actually a scammer. It does not matter what the caller ID says, you cannot trust it.
- If you get a call from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book or on the company or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.
- Never give out personal information such as account numbers, social insurance number (SIN), mother’s maiden name, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls
For more information about fraud activity in Canada vist the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
