Posted:
Halifax Regional Police is issuing a warning about fraudsters contacting citizens and presenting themselves as police officers asking for donations.
Over the last couple of weeks, Halifax Regional Police has received complaints from citizens about phone calls from individuals claiming to be with the “Halifax Police Service” or “Halifax Regional Police Service” looking for donations as part of a cyberbullying campaign. The caller explains that the campaign is focusing on internet safety and adding more officers in local schools. These calls did not come from Halifax Regional Police and are fraudulent in nature.
This type of scam, which involves a caller attempting to elicit financial and/or personal information, is referred to as vishing. Vishing scam artists want this information so they can gain access to your credit cards and/or bank accounts. Please note the following:
- Halifax Regional Police is not conducting a donation campaign and will never ask for your credit card information over the phone.
- If you do not believe that the person you are talking to is a police officer, hang up and call 490-5016.
- The non-emergency reporting line, (902) 490-5016, will never appear on your call display. Calls from Halifax Regional Police will show up as a blocked number.
- You should also not give personal information to anyone, whether solicitation occurs by telephone or in person, unless you have initiated the contact or you are certain of the identification of the individual and the legitimacy of the organization they claim to represent.
Anyone who has been a victim of such a scam is encouraged to report it to the HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit at 490-1985 or online at https://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch/index.html