Date: December 7, 2020
File: N/A
The Saanich Police are warning about recent frauds that appear to be targeting the Chinese community here in Saanich, as some have reported being defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Calls have been received with pre-recorded messages in Mandarin and Cantonese directing people to take urgent action regarding their accounts, sometimes claiming that the accounts have been involved in a crime. The fraudsters have been known to identify themselves as agents, officials of corporations and even police departments.
Here are some tips from the Saanich Police to help protect you from these types of frauds/scams:
- Police will not call you with a pre-recorded message. Be wary of any pre-recorded message you receive about winning prizes or that requires urgent attention to a matter.
- If you hear the message, do not press any button and just hang up.
- If being transferred to the police, hang up and call them yourself and if possible, from a different phone number.
- Fraudsters can use computers to spoof phone numbers and caller ID’s of any person or agency they want. If in doubt, hang up immediately.
- Do not download unknown mobile applications or links from messages or emails you receive unless you can verify the sender.
- Do not disclose personal banking information to anyone unknown to you.
For more information, please read these links from the Hong Kong Police Force:
https://www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/adcc/alert_200504_01.html
https://www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/adcc/index.html
This release has been translated into both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, as seen below. Please share with family and friends to help spread awareness.
Cst. Markus Anastasiades
Public Information and Communications Officer
Chinese Translation (Simplified):
最近萨尼奇发生若干针对华人社区的电话骗案。
欺诈者表示自己为代理人员、机构职员甚或警方人员，用预先录制口讯，告知接电人卷入经济案件并恐吓接电人提供个人资料或付款到某个账号。
以下是萨尼奇警方一些防范提示：
1。警方不会用预先录制口讯致电市民。小心留意预录的获奖或紧急通知。
2。如果接到类似电话,立即挂断。
3。如果来电称已改接到警察部门请立即挂断，然后致电警方查询。如果方便，请用其他电话致电。
4。诈骗者会用改号软件改变来电显示、如有疑问请立即挂断。
5。请勿下载不知名应用程式、电子邮件及连结。
6。请勿将个人信息及银行账户资料提不认识人仕。
Chinese Translation (Traditional):
最近薩尼奇發生若干針對華人社區的電話騙案。
欺詐者表示自己為代理人員、機構職員甚或警方人員，用預先錄製口訊，告知接電人捲入經濟案件並恐嚇接電人提供個人資料或付款到某個賬號。
以下是薩尼奇警方一些防範提示：
1。 警方不會用預先錄製口訊致電市民。小心留意預錄的獲獎或緊急通知。
2。如果接到類似電話,立即掛斷。
3。如果來電稱已改接到警察部門請立即掛斷，然後致電警方查詢。如果方便，請用其他電話致電。
4。 詐騙者會用改號軟件改變來電顯示、如有疑問請立即掛斷。
5。請勿下載不知名應用程式、電子郵件及連結。
6。請勿將個人 信息及銀行賬戶資料提不認識人 仕。