Charlottetown Police Services (CPS) is warning the public about an ongoing telephone scam involving individuals impersonating Charlottetown Police officers.
Investigators have learned fraudsters are using spoofing technology to make the calls appear as though they originate from Charlottetown Police. In many of these reports, an officer identifies themselves as “Officer Miller”. It is worth noting that CPS does not have an Officer Miller on staff. The fraudsters then attempt to obtain personal or financial information from the victim.
Spoofing is a type of fraud where the caller ID is manipulated, and in the incidents reported to CPS, it displays our non-emergency number “902-629-4172” and appears as “City of Charlottetown”.
Police will never request your personal information to verify your identity over the phone, nor will they use your financial information to verify your identity. If someone claims to be from Charlottetown Police, ask for their name, file number, and reason for the call.
Safety tips to help prevent fraud:
- Do not provide personal, banking, or financial information over the phone.
- Hang up immediately and block the phone number, if possible.
- Contact Charlottetown Police directly to verify the legitimacy of the call.
Charlottetown Police Services is encouraging anyone who may have received a suspicious or potentially fraudulent call to report it by calling (902) 629-4172 or by contacting PEI Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or peicrimestoppers.com.
To learn more about how to protect yourself from fraud, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.