Man pretending to work for the VPD calling people for personal info
Posted August 12, 2016 11:51 am.
Last Updated August 12, 2016 11:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – If you get a call from someone claiming to be a police officer asking for personal information, hang up. Vancouver Police say over the past week they’ve had reports of this happening and they’re warning people to take extra precautions.
The caller ID shows the call is coming from the VPD’s non-emergency line which is 604.717.3321. The caller has been described as unprofessional and having a South Asian accent. He identifies himself as a police officer and asks to speak with someone in the home. And in some cases, the person appears to know the names of those he’s calling.
“We continually ask people to be very careful with their personal information. To trust their gut instincts and in some cases to realize that if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is,” says Constable Brian Montague.
“It appears they’re fishing for information, we don’t know exactly what information they’re looking for or the reason for the calls.”
Police think the phone number displayed on the caller ID is spoofed and may actually originate from a call centre in central India.
Montague says you should never give your personal information out over the phone and he thinks this is happening in other Lower Mainland communities. If you or someone you know has been scammed or lost money because of these calls, you’re asked to call police.
