By Shane Clausing

Bitcoin Phone Scam

Fort St. John RCMP warn of scam phone calls directed targets to Grande Prairie

Feb 20, 2020 | 1:32 PM

Fort St John RCMP have received dozens of calls over the last two days reporting a phone scam that is directing people to Grande Prairie to turn their money into bitcoin.

The scam consists of victims receiving a call from an Ontario phone number, with the caller claiming to be from Service Canada. The scammer then tells the victim that they have too many credit cards or too many bank accounts. They then instruct the victim to empty their bank accounts and travel to Grande Prairie, where they have to convert their money into bitcoin, then deposit it as directed.

RCMP also say the scam appears to be evolving with some people being called from Fort St John phone numbers, including the Fort St John RCMP.

Authorities say the scammer has the victim’s name, address and phone number, which makes the caller sound believable. The scammer then asks that the victim confirm their last three digits of their SIN (social insurance number).

The caller has also been providing a website that they refer the victim to which looks like a Canadian government website with the phone number they are calling from listed on the bottom of the page, making the call seem legitimate.

With that, Fort St. John RCMP are offering a number of ways to protect yourself:

• Never provide personal information such as your SIN.
• If somebody calls and says they are from the CRA, Service Canada, Border Services or a bank and are saying your accounts have been compromised or asking you to transfer money, call the agency back or attend your local bank in person to verify.
• You have the right to say “no” and research what you were told, time constraints and continuous pressure are tactics fraudsters use to get people to follow their instructions.

If you are a victim or receive a call that you believe is fraudulent in any way, report it to the anti-fraud centre website.

If you do provide personal information to the scammer, police say you should:

• Report it to your bank or credit card company.
• Change your passwords.
• Make a police report
• Make a report to both licensed credit bureaus: Equifax and TransUnion.

If you have been a victim of any of these scam calls, have information or can assist in identifying any possible suspects, contact the Fort St John RCMP at 250-787-8100. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.crimestoppersnebc.ca.