Toronto police warn of telephone scam involving fake officers

Toronto police have issued a public safety alert following reports of scammers making calls claiming to be officers.

In a news release on Saturday, police warned the public about the telephone scam, which they said was being done to obtain personal information.

The caller ID would show the phone number of 33 Division, which is 416-808-3300, but police confirmed that they were not making the calls.

“The suspect tells the person that they are investigating fraudulent activity and to contact the Chinese authorities to report this,” police said.

“It is believed that the suspect is attempting to obtain personal information from the victim for fraudulent purposes.”

Police are reminding the public that if they receive a phone call from someone identifying as an officer, they obtain their name and badge number. They should call back police directly to confirm its legitimacy.

“Never provide personal information to an unknown person over the phone,” police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.