Coquitlam RCMP is alerting the public about “spoofing scams” after receiving several reports that the Coquitlam RCMP Burquitlam Community Police Office phone number (604-949-5000) has been used for multiple frauds.

Spoofing is a type of fraud where the fraudsters manipulate their caller ID to display “Coquitlam RCMP” or other police agencies. The fraudsters would pretend to be police officers and tell potential victims they are under investigation for a criminal offence. The fraudsters then attempt to obtain personal or financial information from the victim.

“Scammers are pretending to be police officers to scare people into providing personal information,” said Media Relations Officer Acting Sergeant George Han. “If you ever get a call that doesn’t feel right, even if it looks like it’s coming from the police, hang up and call the Coquitlam RCMP directly at 604-945-1550.”

How to protect yourself from caller ID spoofing Scams:

• If you’re not expecting a call or don’t recognize the number, don’t answer and let it go to voicemail.
• Scammers can manipulate their caller ID and make it appear as they’re calling from Coquitlam RCMP.
• If you're unsure about the legitimacy of the call, do not interact with the prompts.
• If someone claims to be from the Coquitlam RCMP, ask for their name, file number, and reason for the call. Then hang up and call the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.
• Never share personal or financial information over the phone unless you initiated the call and are certain of the recipient’s identity.
• Police will never use your financial information to verify your identity.