West Vancouver police warn Ontarians of scammers posing as their officers through non-emergency phone number

A person uses a cell phone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A police force in British Columbia issued a warning about a new scam in which fraudsters spoof their non-emergency number and then call Ontarians claiming to be officers.

Police say the scammers tell the victims they are speaking to a West Vancouver Police Department officer, providing them with a fake badge number and name.

Many of the victims are then asked to download an app on their phone, police say, subsequently putting themselves at “significant risk.”

“The West Vancouver Police Department will never call you from our non-emergency line, which is exclusively for residents to report non-urgent police matters,” police said in Wednesday’s release.

On top of never asking a civilian to download an app onto their phones, West Vancouver police say they will also not ask for bail money, Bitcoin, gift cards or money transfers.

Police provided tips on what to do if someone believes they are targeted by this scam, which includes ending the call immediately, not providing them with any information and not returning the “spoofed” number’s call. They also suggest filing a report with local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.