Toronto police are warning the public of a fraud scheme that is targeting the Chinese community.
According to police, the victims will receive an unsolicited telephone call from a Mandarin speaking person who often identifies as a telephone operator with a major cellular company.
The caller will then advise the victim that a telephone account was opened in China under their name and that the account was used to commit fraud.
Afterwards, the victim is transferred to another person who identifies as a police officer in China, police said. The “police officer” will tell them they are being investigated for fraud and then proceed to threaten them with extradition unless funds are provided. In other cases, the “police officer” will request funds be sent in order for the victim’s name to be cleared in China.
RED FLAGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Police have released a number of red flags for the public to look out for to avoid falling victim to the scam:
- Threats of extradition from Canada by a foreign national
- Demands for payment to cover the costs of an investigation or to pay for damages of an overseas crime
- The call is threatening in nature
In addition, police are urging the public not to provide any personal information or banking details to anyone over the telephone, not to provide any copies of your passport or other identification and not to transfer funds overseas, including cryptocurrency, in response to demands made over the telephone.
If you have provided personal information to anyone, you are encouraged to contact a credit agency and have your accounts monitored.
Anyone who has information or thinks they may have been a victim of this scam, should contact police at 416-808-7300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.
