Brantford police warn of scammers posing as detectives

Headquarters of the Brantford Police Service on May 12, 2025. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News)

If you recently received a missed call from the ‘Brantford Police Service,’ you may have been targeted by scammers.

The Brantford Police Service said it received more than 100 calls from concerned citizens on Tuesday. Officers were told people had received multiple missed calls that appeared to originate from the Brantford Police Service’s non-emergency number. In some cases, call display information showed the name ‘Brantford Police Service.’

People who answered the call said the person on the other end identified themselves as a police detective. The caller then said the other person was a suspect in a fraud investigation.

“These calls are fraudulent and are not originating from the Brantford Police Service,” police said in a media release. “This appears to be an instance of caller ID spoofing, a tactic commonly used in scams to mislead individuals and gain their trust.”

Police also noted all outgoing calls from the Brantford Police Service will display as ‘No Caller ID’ and police will never demand personal or financial information over the phone.

“If you are ever unsure about the identity of a caller claiming to be a police officer, we strongly advise you to hang up immediately and call our non-emergency dispatch line at 519-756-7050 to verify,” police said.