A phone scam asking for social insurance numbers or claiming tax issues has affected many residents in the Battlefords. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Phone scam

Battlefords RCMP warns of phone scammers

Nov 16, 2020 | 5:19 PM

Battlefords RCMP are advising residents to watch out for a phone scam asking for their personal information.

According to Sgt. Jason Teniuk, the calls have been coming from a series of numbers. Some have new area codes, others are masking their source with actual local digits. Teniuk said this has been rampant over the last three or four days.

“All our guys are getting calls. My wife got a call and I’ve had four this morning,” he said. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

The scam consists of two calls. One says your social insurance number is comprised and you have to talk to them right away by pressing one on the keypad. The other call purports to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, saying there’s an issue with your tax returns and takes you to a call centre that is loud in the background.

“I did [the first one] and I got to somebody who [ended up] telling me to bleep off,” Teniuk said. “And in calling the second, people are very evasive in their answers. They hang up right away, as soon as you say anything they don’t like.”

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One of the calls said the RCMP will be notified. Teniuk said he can tell the public conclusively that this is false and they will not be coming to arrest people over this.

“We do not have anything to do with the Canada Revenue Agency, or the social insurance numbers or anything like that at all,” he said. “Absolutely zero.”

Teniuk said it’s critical that residents do not give up any information during these sorts of calls, as the CRA, government and RCMP would not call people for that information in this fashion.

“No phone number, no full name, no address, no postal code,” he said. “Absolutely zero over the phone, unless you absolutely know who you’re talking to.”

And anyone who needs help navigating this issue can call the RCMP for assistance. Teniuk said he especially wants to protect those most vulnerable in the senior population.

“Please call us before giving anything away,” he said.

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports