(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
November 26, 2013 - 11:28 AM
KAMLOOPS - RCMP are warning of a phone scam that targeted a local immigrant family, bilking them out of $2,400 last week.
Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Cheryl Bush said a family was scammed by a caller alleging to be a criminal investigation officer from Canada Revenue Agency. The caller allegedly threatened their immigration status.
"The caller indicated they may be deported and have assets seized if they did not cooperate," Bush said. "Somehow the caller seemed to know that these people were emigrated Canadian citizens."
The victim loaded money onto prepaid credit cards as requested believing the caller worked for a legitimate agency.
An investigation into the matter is ongoing, but Bush said it can be difficult to track scammers who know what they're doing. She said the investigation will track the phone number, but if the scammer called from a pre-paid phone, they may be out of luck.
"Sometimes we come up against dead ends," she said.
It's why police are hoping to educate citizens and prevent further scam crimes in the future.
Bush advised residents to make inquiries before exchanging funds with anyone.
"Our best defence is to educate the public," she said.
Those who believe they have encountered a scam or scammer are also asked to report it by contacting police at 250-828-3000.
To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013