Beware of fraudulent calls
RCMP in Turner Valley are warning Albertans to be cautious of telephone fraud scams. More recently the STARS lottery.
This scam involves one or several persons who contact individuals by phone claiming to be from STARS Lottery advising their number was randomly selected as a winner of $750,000.00 and a new vehicle.
Tips:
– Keep track of contests, draws and lotteries you enter
– Challenge a caller who says you’ve won a prize to tell you where and when you entered
– Check out the charity’s financial information. For many organizations, this information can be found online
– Ask for identification. If the solicitor refuses to tell you or does not have some form of verifiable identification, hang up and report it to law enforcement officials
– Call the charity. Find out if the organization is aware of the solicitation and has authorized the use of its name. If not, you may be dealing with a scam artist
– Refuse high pressure appeals. Legitimate fund-raisers won’t push you to give on the spot
– Be wary of charities offering to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect your donation immediately
– Be wary of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. According to law, you never have to donate anything to be eligible to win
To file a police complaint regarding this phone scam or any other fraudulent phone calls, please contact your local RCMP office. You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 to file a report.
