Canadian government warning residents to beware of convincing new SIN scam

By

Published October 16, 2019 at 2:21 pm

phonescam

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is warning residents to beware of a very convincing new caller ID spoofing scam that attempts to fool people into thinking their social insurance number (SIN) has been blocked, compromised or suspended. 

The CAFC says fraudsters are pretending to be calling from government agencies such as Service Canada, the RCMP, or various courthouses. When these people call, you will see the phone number of these agencies on your caller ID. 

This is due to caller ID spoofing, which disguises telephone numbers appearing on a caller ID display. This tool allows scammers to disguise their calls, as the call will appear to be coming from local or familiar numbers to trick people into answering the phone and trusting the caller. 

Residents who receive this call are asked to provide their SIN and other personal information, such as their date of birth, name, address, and more. 

Victims who provide their personal information to unknown individuals are at risk of identity fraud.

So, how can you be vigilant?

The CAFC says not to trust your call display.

“It does not matter what the caller ID says, you cannot trust it,” the CAFC says on its website. 

The CAFC is reminding residents to never give out personal information such as account numbers, SINs, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls.

If you get a call from someone who says they represent a legitimate company or a government agency and are seeking personal information, hang up and call the government agency, financial institution or police service to confirm the authenticity of the call.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising