New scam involves caller claiming to be Barrie police officer

Scammers claiming to be Barrie police officers pressure victims to provide personal information.

A new scam circulating the region involves a fraudster calling a resident and identifying themselves as a Barrie police officer, telling them there’s suspicious activity on their bank accounts.

Barrie police then say the scammer tries to get more personal and banking information. When the person says no, the scammer will then threaten that any money lost won’t be covered by their bank if they don’t comply.

Barrie police say someone reported getting an email from the fraudster that had a police badge and identification card, to make them look authentic.

Authorities with Barrie police say there were several signs pointing to the fact that this was a scam. For example, the badge was fake, not well produced and was clearly fraudulent, as the crest didn’t match the Barrie police crest.

The email also came from a free email service provider, rather than a BarriePolice.ca email address, which all the Barrie Police Service members have.

According to Barrie police, if you have doubts whether you’re on the phone with a police officer, hang up and call Barrie Police Service through the non-emergency line at 705-725-7025.

Authorities are reminding the community to be cautious of scams and be on alert.

Some things to look out for are suspicious links or attachments from unknown email addresses and people who try to create a sense of urgency or demand secrecy. This is a tactic scammers use to create panic in people.

Finally, do not provide personal or financial information to people you don’t know and don’t be afraid to say no.