Fraud Awareness - Scam Phone Calls

The Town of Edson has been made aware of an increase in fraudulent phone calls involving spoofed local numbers.

Spoofing is when a scammer uses a device to mask their real phone number and displays a different number that does not actually belong to the caller.

These scammers typically claim to be from government agencies and will often ask for personal information or payments to be made in unorthodox ways (bitcoin/gift cards).

If you suspect that you are being scammed, hang up. If you have been a victim of a scam, please report it to your local RCMP/police. You can also report any scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Protect yourself from scams

• Never assume that phone numbers appearing on your call display are accurate
• Never give out personal information such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or your date of birth (DOB) over the phone.
• Call the company or agency in question directly, if you receive a text message or email. Make sure you research their contact information and don't use the information provided in the first message
• Never click on links received via text message or email
• When visiting a website, always verify the URL and domain to make sure you are on the official website.