Cpl. Kyle Camalush, detachment commander of the Barriere RCMP is warning the public once again about potential fraud and scams. On March 6, 2024 he explains, “Barriere RCMP received a report of a possible fraud/ threat file. Investigation determined that the complainant was called from an unknown phone number and that a male indicated he was her secret admirer. The male threatened that he was going to kill her in this instance. Police dispatch ran checks on the phone number and found that it was from Scotland. This call was a scam call and police advised to block the number.”
Camalush said one phone scam to be aware of is that of a ‘Reader’s Digest’ call, which the detachment received.
“The call was informing us we had won a huge prize and only needed to pay the fees to receive it. This is called a prize winner call. This variation targets mostly seniors. The call will either be from “Reader’s Digest” or “Publisher’s Clearing House.” The scammer states that the senior has won a car or cash prize. To get the winnings, they need to pay a small fee to cover taxes, legal fees, or delivery costs. The scammer may request payment through a money service business such as Western Union or Money Gram, or request that you provide prepaid gift cards. This communication occurs through email, mail, phone, or even social media. No winnings are ever received. There are many variations on the prize scam.”
The Barriere RCMP advise, if you have been a victim of this scam, please report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. To report by phone call this number toll free: 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (ET) and closed on holidays.
More info on the many scams currently out there can be found on their website: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/
The Barriere RCMP Detachment responded to an additional 25 calls for service during this period.
Barriere RCMP detachment non-emergency number: (250) 672-9918
