Halifax RCMP warns of phone scam instructing people to send money abroad

One man was contacted by a scammer pretending to represent a foreign company, where they told him he’d face deportation and arrest

CITYnews halifax \ Chris Stoodley

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Halifax RCMP is warning the public about a phone scam present in the city that’s instructing people to send money abroad through wire transfer.

On May 3, the RCMP received a fraud complaint from one man who fell victim to the scam.

According to a news release, the RCMP says the man was contacted by a scammer who was pretending to represent a foreign company.

The RCMP says the scammer told the man his personal information had been compromised abroad and that he’d face deportation and arrest.

Then, the scammer instructed the man to call a specific phone number, where the person on the other end pretended to be a foreign police service.

The RCMP says $100,000 was sent by wire transfer, and the scammers spoke Mandarin throughout their conversation.

“Scammers can be very persistent and convincing. Being defrauded is never the victim’s fault,” the RCMP says in the news release. “If you have been defrauded, you are not alone.”

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, there have been more than 21,000 reports of fraud in the country since March 31. That accounts to more than $125 million lost to fraud.

Police remind people to protect themselves from fraud by avoiding sending money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or anything else of value to people they’ve never met in person.

Moreover, people should not give out their personal or financial information in response to a request they did not expect.

Finally, anyone who has a feeling that something isn’t right during a conversation should trust their gut instinct and stop communicating with that person.

Anyone who suspects they’ve been targeted in a phone or computer scam should contact their local police. They should also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online.