Canadian Border Security Agency scam calls on the rise in Fort St John area

This week the Fort St John RCMP front counter has received a significant influx of calls to report a phone scam that appears to be targeting the Fort St John area.

The recipient receives an automated phone call which says, Hello, this call is from Canada Border Services Agency. We have received a package with your name on it but it was red-flagged because it contained a suspicious substance. An arrest warrant has been issued in your name. This is a time-sensitive matter. It is urgent to hear back from you before we proceed. Press 1 to speak with our Canada Border Services Agency officer now.

Scammers are using "Caller ID Spoofing" technology to appear to be someone that they aren’t. The call display on the recipient’s phone may show Canada Border Services Agency and appears to be from the government. With many people shopping online, waiting for packages, the appearance of the call coming from a real source and the threat of being arrested, many individuals follow directions and press 1.

Once the recipient responds by pressing 1, the call is picked up by a real person on the other end who is the scammer, and converses with them.  After a brief introduction, they request your personal information to prove your identity.  The goal of this conversation is for the scammer to get your personal information in order to commit further crimes using the theft of your identity.

The Fort St John RCMP wishes to share this information to educate the public in order to confidently hang up on these scammers and protect yourself and your information as this is a known scam. Do not share personal information over the phone or online.  This includes information like your birthdate, any banking information and Social Insurance Number.

If you have received this call but have not shared any personal information and are not the victim of identity theft, you do not need to call police.

If you have received this type of call, have shared your personal information and are concerned about the information being used by the scammers, please call police. Also share your experience with as many other family and friends as you can so they are aware and do not fall victim to these types of scams.

The Fort St John RCMP can be reached at 250-787-8100.