Scam Alert
On Tuesday, May 28, 2014 a Township of Chatsworth resident received a phone call from an unknown person stating they were affiliated with a police organization and were seeking donations for an anti-bullying campaign.
The complainant did not disclose any personal or financial information to the caller. She did, however, call Grey County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to report a possible fraud.
The phone number that appeared on the complainant’s call display was 647-847-1061.
This phone number is associated to several other fraud complaints in Southwestern Ontario. When an officer called the number, a recorded bi-lingual message tells the caller that they have reached the “Customer Care Line of the Community Police Association”. The message goes on to say that they are looking for support for upcoming programs and to leave your name and contact information.
The OPP wish to remind the public to never give out your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call yourself, and the phone number came from a trusted source.
Scammers can try to pressure you to give a donation and refuse to provide details about the charity, such as their address or their contact details. In some cases, they may provide false information. Simply hang up the phone.
All registered charities in Canada are overseen by the Canada Revenue Agency and are listed in its database.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, www.antifraudcentre.ca
The Competition Bureau’s Information Centre, www.competitionbureau.gc.ca
Office of Consumer Affairs, www.consumerhandbook.ca
Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus, www.ccbbb.ca
Canada Revenue Agency, www.cra-arc.gc.ca
