Lennox & Addington OPP wants residents to think twice when it comes to people asking for personal information.
Several residents have reported receiving phone calls asking for bank account numbers, account balances, social insurance or credit card numbers. The caller then tried to intimidate people by claiming police will come to their homes if the information is not provided. A caller has also indicated police would bring a new social insurance in exchange for providing the current number.
Police remind people to never give out personal information to someone over the phone and don’t call back the number on the call display or one provided by the caller. Hang up, look-up the number of the bank or agency and call to ensure any request is real. This advice also applies to unsolicited text messages and emails asking for personal information. In that case, don’t even click on a link contained in the message.
When in doubt, take a minute and reach out to a trusted source for information.
Anyone who has been a victim of a scammer can contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.