The Toronto Police Service is warning people about a new phone scam targeting residents across southern Ontario.
The police say that someone pretending to be a 51 Division officer has been calling people. The scammer impersonating an officer will then tell the victim to call 911 to verify that they are indeed an officer.
Toronto Police said that when the victim calls 911, their call is intercepted by others involved in the scam. The scammers on the other end of the phone will then try to get personal and financial information from the victim.
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PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT: We have received multiple calls for a phone scam where a caller identifies themselves as a Detective from 51 Division. The caller then tells the victim to call 9-1-1 to verify he’s an officer.
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cc:@TPS51Div— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) May 16, 2022
Luckily, police say they are unaware of anyone being successfully scammed, but they are asking that if anyone has given up their information to one of these calls, to contact them as soon as possible.
Toronto Police Service is telling Ontarians that if they receive a call from someone claiming to be an officer, hang up and look up the contact information for that division. They emphasize that you should ensure your call is disconnected before trying to place another call. Would-be victims can call the division to confirm the identity of the officer calling if it is indeed an actual officer.