Indian authorities have shut down a call centre where 32 people were scamming Canadian citizens. The phone scam they were running involved social insurance numbers.
Sameer Sharma, a deputy police commissioner in New Delhi said that the “swanky international scam call centre targeting Canadian citizens” was made known on Friday.
Officers made their move on Sunday, arresting 32 people in the call centre on charges of threatening and extorting money from people in Canada. 55 Computers, and 35 phones were seized.
"FAKE INTERNATIONAL CALL CENTRE BUSTED, 32 ARRESTED"
West District Police during a raid in area of Moti Nagar have arrested 32 persons of call center on charges of threatening and extorting money from people in Canada. 55 Computers, 35 mobiles seized. Cheated about 300 crores.. pic.twitter.com/VyOiYnglFW— DCP West Delhi (@DCPWestDelhi) November 18, 2019
According to Delhi Police, “One Canadian national who has been duped of 13,500$ through this SIN scam has lodged complaint against these cheats.”
What to look for
The SIN, or Social Insurance Number scam, is just one of many methods used by scammers to cheat you out of your money. According to Delhi Police, these calls typically begin with a robotic voice claiming to be from Service Canada or the CRA.
The prospective victim is then told that there are charges linked to their SIN number, and they must call back or face imprisonment.
This is all scary, but it seems to get worse.
Call spoofing technology is used to make the number appear as if it is from Canada. Those who call back are subjected to more threats, and then offered a one-time chance to pay a large sum to settle the issue.
This is where issues arise. Many new immigrants or people who haven’t lived in Canada for more than a few years may believe these threats.
How to keep yourself safe
Special bulletin posted by Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has a number of resources to help you protect yourself.
They say that these are their top tips:
- Don’t trust your call display. It may say “Police” or “CRA”, but in reality, you can’t trust caller ID, as it can be spoofed easily.
- If you get a phone call from someone who claims to represent a company or government agency, hang up. Call the number on your account statement. Alternatively, call their number that is available online to verify these claims.
- Never give out personal information. This includes account numbers, social insurance number (SIN), mother’s maiden name, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls.
This is far from the first time that call centres in India have been involved with scamming Canadians. CBC’s Marketplace conducted an investigation that lead them to India in 2018.
