Prince Albert police warning public about ’emergency’ phone scam
Citing recent complaints, the Prince Albert Police Service is reminding the public of frauds centered around false emergencies.
A common scam involves a potential victim, often an older adult, receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a family member in an emergency and requiring money for various purposes. A large sum of money is requested and a ‘password’ is provided to the victim.
The fraudsters then arrange for someone to pick up the money and the ‘password’.
“If you receive a suspicious phone call, ask important questions of the caller to verify their identity but refrain from offering additional details yourself, including your address,” the police said in a media release, adding another option is to hang up and call that family member directly to verify their location and well-being and/or connect with other relatives to fact check the call.