What to know
- According to police, scammers may call offering discounted wireless plans, account upgrades or free cellphones as part of a promotion.
- Scammers may use victims’ personal information to access their wireless accounts and order new phones, before directing victims to ship unwanted devices to addresses controlled by the fraudsters.
- Police say customers should independently contact their provider to verify unexpected offers or return instructions rather than relying on information provided by an unsolicited caller.
- Residents should regularly check their wireless accounts for unfamiliar devices or services and remember that caller ID can be spoofed to make scam calls appear legitimate.
Toronto police are warning residents about a cellphone scam in which fraudsters impersonate telecommunications companies and use customers’ accounts to obtain expensive devices.
Police say victims have been left facing thousands of dollars in charges after scammers offered what appeared to be discounted plans, account upgrades or free phones, then used their information to order devices through their accounts.
How does the scam work?
Police say victims reported receiving unsolicited calls from people claiming to represent telecommunications companies and offering discounted services, account upgrades or free cellphones. Callers often had personal information about the victims, which made the call appear legitimate.
Scammers later allegedly used the victim’s information to access their account and arrange for new cellphones to be shipped to their homes, and tell them to keep one device as a promised upgrade.
When victims reported additional or incorrect devices being received, fraudsters directed them to ship them to another address, leading them to believe the devices were being returned to the company. However, they were actually being shipped to scammers’ addresses.
Victims later discovered that the devices were purchased through their account and were left to deal with the costs. According to police, telecommunication companies might not remove the charges, as the devices were not returned back to them.
Police say they’ve recently recovered thousands of dollars in new cellphones and other devices during an investigation, which they believe were obtained through this scam.
How Torontonians can prepare
Although this scam may be hard to detect, TPS is recommending some steps that might help Torontonians prepare themselves against it, including:
- Being cautious of any unsolicited calls from these companies, especially if they offer discounted plans, free phones, or upgrades
- Avoid providing personal information and account details through an unsolicited call
- When receiving an offer, residents can hang up and call or contact the telecommunications provider themselves to verify the offer
- Avoid returning items using a return label or address provided by an unsolicited caller without confirming it directly with the company
- Regularly reviewing wireless accounts for any unfamiliar devices or services
- Changing their password and PIN if they believe their information was compromised.
Police also note that customers should not rely on the telephone number displayer or caller ID to verify callers, as scammers can manipulate those to appear legitimate.
Those who believe they might have been affected by this scam should immediately contact their service provider, save any correspondence and shipping information and report the incident to police.
