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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 28 ,2 01 9 | 26 Halton regional police are cautioning local resi- dents to be vigilant against several telephone scams that are currently impact- ing the community. Over the past few weeks, police say Halton residents have reported re- ceiving bogus calls that largely fall under four themes: Scam one: The caller in- dicates they're from the Canadian Revenue Agency and that you owe money for taxes. In some cases, the suspect tells the victim a warrant will be obtained and they'll be arrested if they don't make an imme- diate payment, which is re- quested in the form of gift cards that aren't traceable (i.e. Amazon, iTunes, Goo- gle Play). The victim pur- chases a large quantity of gift cards and gives the cal- ler the personal identifica- tion number or verifica- tion number. Scam two: The caller in- dicates they're from your bank and need help to in- vestigate an internal fraud between the bank and an- other retail store. They say you've been selected to as- sist with the investigation and could earn up to $500 for your help. The caller then directs you to pur- chase a large quantity of gift cards and call them back with the PIN. The vic- tim is told where to pur- chase the gift cards and cautioned not to disclose the reason or directed to say the cards are being pur- chased as gifts for children or grandchildren. The sus- pect may also gain remote access to the victim's com- puter (online banking). The promised deposit ap- pears in their daily bank- ing account; however, it's transferred from the vic- tim's line of credit/savings unbeknownst to them. Scam three: The caller identifies themselves as a bank employee and advis- es that one of your credit cards has been compromi- sed. The caller indicates they'll deposit a large sum of money into your ac- count (much larger than what you're alleged to have lost), however, you're asked to transfer a portion back. The suspect may gain remote access to the victim's computer (online banking). The promised deposit appears in their daily banking account; however, it's transferred from the victim's line of credit/savings unbe- knownst to them. Scam four: The caller indicates they're with some type of police or oth- er law enforcement agen- cy, or a lawyer re- presenting a loved one (they will often use a grandchild and elicit a promise not to tell anyone). The caller then directs the victim to initiate a money transfer, often asking for thousands of dollars to "post bail" for a loved one- . Older adults are often the target of this scam because they want to help their grandchild. Just hang up the phone: Police While exact numbers of those impacted locally by phone scams weren't im- mediately available, Det. Const. Derek Gray, an old- er adult abuse and finan- cial crime investigator with Halton regional po- lice, said unfortunately many residents do fall vic- tim. "Stuff like this happens all the time," he said. "We refer to them commonly as mass marketing frauds." One recent example he cited was an early morning call received by an older gentleman in Burlington, who was told his son had been involved in a drinking and driving accident that killed a young girl. After wiring $6,000 to one bank and $4,000 to another to help his son, he then found out the accident never hap- pened, said Gray. He encourages local residents to be diligent and always do their own inves- tigating of any suspicious calls - a sentiment he's bol- stering through the Twit- ter hashtag #beyourown- sherlockholmes. This can be done by hanging up during the questionable phone call and calling the person or company back at a phone number that you indepen- dently look up, he said. Gray estimates this simple move would eliminate 80 per cent of the fraud taking place. "Just hang up or screen your calls. You don't need to answer the phone," he said. "And never disclose any personal information to anyone ever over the phone." Gray also encourages people to seek assistance from friends, the police and the Canadian Anti- Fraud Centre (CAFC) If they're concerned about a call they've received. According to the CAFC, less than five per cent of mass marketing fraud is ever reported. For the elderly victims that Gray assists, he said they may be afraid or em- barrassed to come forward for fear it will give their families the impression they can no longer handle their money independent- ly. But statistics from the CAFC reveal that local se- niors wouldn't be alone. In 2017, the agency received 71,793 mass marketing fraud complaints with a to- tal reported dollar loss of $110 million. Halton regional police urge residents to be aware that no government agen- cy, financial institution or legitimate business will ev- er give a customer money and ask for a portion to be reimbursed, or ask them to make a payment in gift cards or money transfers/ wires, or assist with an in- ternal fraud investigation. Police say law enforce- ment agencies, bailiffs or lawyers will also never contact people to request that bail money be wire transferred. HALTON POLICE WARN OF PHONE SCAMS OPERATING LOCALLY Metroland photo MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com NEWS Halton police. 312 GUELPH ST., GEORGETOWN 905-877-2296 www.georgetowntoyota.com Sat Feb 2nd, 2019 - 7:30pm Georgetown Raiders vs. Markham Royals Wed Feb 6th, 2019 - 7:30pm Georgetown Raiders vs. Markham Royals Games at Mold-Masters SportsPlex WED NIGHT SAT NIGHT