Powell River RCMP are warning locals to be vigilant regarding a telemarketing scam.
There have been complaints that people have received phone calls claiming they won a lottery and that the cheque, often in the sum of millions of dollars, will be delivered for a processing fee of hundreds of dollars.
Constable Christopher Bakker said the best thing to do upon receiving one of these calls is to alert authorities.
“Give us a call. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. If you haven’t put your name in for any lottery then you’re not going to win.”
A second scam making the rounds is a phone call where the caller says there is a virus in the person’s computer and the caller can fix it in exchange for personal information.
“If you feel they’re not providing proper information or not representing themselves properly, hang up the phone, delete the email and call the police,” said Bakker. “Never provide personal information so they can use it.”
Consumers should report any fraudulent activity to RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1.888.495.8501 or on its website. More information about these scams and others can be found online.
