Ontario Provincial Police is warning the public about a cellphone scam in which fraudsters pose as telecommunications company representatives and offer free or heavily discounted devices.
Police say victims are persuaded to provide personal information and accept a phone, only to discover it was financed through their own account. Fraudsters then instruct victims to surrender or ship the device elsewhere, promising a refund or promotional credit that never arrives.
The OPP advises people to hang up on unsolicited callers claiming to represent their service provider and contact the company directly using a verified number. Never provide passwords, PINs, security codes, identification or multi-factor authentication codes to unexpected callers.
Anyone who receives a device they did not order should contact their provider to confirm the proper return process and never ship it to an address supplied by an unknown caller.
Suspected fraud should be reported to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through its online reporting system.
Written by: Richard Evans
