Sudbury police receive multiple reports of creepy caller asking women 'invasive' questions

Sudbury police officer. (File)

Sudbury — Greater Sudbury Police have received numerous reports of residents receiving an apparently local call from a man who asks women several personal questions.

Police said when a man answers, the caller would ask about heating, ventilation and air conditioning services.

"However when a girl/woman answers the phone, the caller begins to ask invasive and personal questions," police said in a social media post.

The phone number that shows up on call display – 705-561-9167 – appears to be local, but police said it's not.

"Upon call back, this number comes back as 'not assigned,'" police said. "This is because scammers commonly use spoof applications in order to mimic a specific phone number and area code, depending on the location of the individuals they are contacting.

Share the information

"We would ask that you please share this information with your family and friends so that they are aware of this phone number and what is happening when answering a call from this phone number."

Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said in an email Friday they haven't received any reports of fraud attempts from the caller.

"At this point, no one has identified themselves as being a victim of any fraud," Dunn said. "There was mainly concern regarding the suspicious number and the individuals asking personal questions."

Since March is Fraud Prevention Month, police provided a fraud prevention checklist created by the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre. It includes a few questions to ask yourself every time you are contacted for personal information whether it be by phone, email or text message.

If any of the following apply, do not provide your information.

- Is the call unsolicited? Was it expected or out of the blue?

- Are they asking you to confirm personal information such as your name, address, or account details?

- Are they looking for a fast or instant response?

- Are they asking you for money?

- Is the caller avoiding using the actual name or the company or financial institution?

- Are they offering you a prize, free gift, or trial?

- Are they claiming to be the police or investigating something?

- Does the email have an odd email address?

- Is the formatting strange or are there spelling mistakes?

- Are you being asked to change your password despite not sending a request to do so?

Here are some links that can help residents determine the legitimacy of a business/organization/charity, as well as how to best protect yourself and your family.

- The Better Business Bureau

- The Competition Bureau of Canada- the Little Black Book of Scams 2nd edition

- The Canadian Anti- Fraud Centre