Toronto police warn of scam calls from fraudsters claiming to be police officers

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 5:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Toronto constabulary are informing the nationalist astir a emergence successful scam calls from fraudsters claiming to beryllium constabulary officers and utilizing constabulary telephone numbers.

In a quality merchandise connected Friday, constabulary said the telephone show sanction from the scammers will often beryllium "Toronto Police." 

The scammer volition accidental they are a constabulary officer and archer the idiosyncratic who answered the telephone that their accusation has been compromised oregon their individuality has been stolen, constabulary said.

Police said the scammers volition assertion the idiosyncratic is wanted by constabulary and demand payment in BitCoin to hole the situation.

Many constabulary forces and authorities agencies are reporting the aforesaid benignant of spoof scam calls, according to police. 

Some calls targeting Chinese community: police

Police said immoderate of the scammers are targeting the Chinese community, utilizing evident video calls involving fake Chinese police.

"The Toronto Police Service volition ne'er interaction you by telephone and marque immoderate demands for outgo of immoderate kind," constabulary said successful the release.

"Do not supply immoderate idiosyncratic accusation oregon banking details to anyone implicit the telephone. Do not supply immoderate copies of your passport oregon different identification. Do not transportation funds overseas, including cryptocurrency, successful effect to demands made implicit the telephone."

In the calls targeting the Chinese community, constabulary said the scammer identifies themselves arsenic a Toronto constabulary serviceman and tells the person they are suspected of being progressive successful a transgression successful China.

The idiosyncratic is then told to bash a video telephone with idiosyncratic claiming to beryllium a constabulary serviceman from China. They are threatened with deportation oregon arrest and told to nonstop wealth for an probe to beryllium completed.

The idiosyncratic is besides told to supply accusation astir their idiosyncratic individuality arsenic good as bank relationship and recognition paper information.

If you have provided idiosyncratic accusation oregon banking details to anyone, constabulary accidental to telephone a recognition bureau specified arsenic TransUnion Canada oregon Equifax, and person their accounts monitored. 

"It is recommended that anyone receiving a call, successful which idiosyncratic accusation oregon wealth is requested, to bent up, look up the authoritative bureau telephone fig and telephone them straight to guarantee you're speaking to a morganatic representative," constabulary said.

Anyone with accusation is asked to interaction constabulary astatine 416-808-2300, oregon Crime Stoppers anonymously astatine 416-222-TIPS (8477).