RCMP are warning residents about scammers posing as police in text messages, emails and phone calls to demand money or obtain personal information.
Police say fraudulent messages can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications.
The RCMP will never send unsolicited texts or emails threatening recipients or asking for payment. Scams include fake court-document delivery notices, extortion emails and calls claiming a loved one needs emergency help.
Delivery notice by text message
One scam involves an unsolicited RCMP “delivery notice” sent by text. It claims police could not deliver court documents and asks recipients to reschedule to avoid missing a court date. A link leads to a fraudulent RCMP website to “reschedule the delivery”.
Police say the messages are fraudulent. The RCMP does not issue notices by text.
Fake law enforcement extortion email
Another scam uses an email attachment containing a fake letter with the RCMP logo and names of senior officials. The letter accuses the recipient of serious crimes and provides a fake RCMP email address. Anyone who responds is asked to pay to avoid jail.
Police say the letters are fraudulent.
Recipients should delete the email without clicking any links.
Emergency-grandparent fraud
In emergency-grandparent scams, callers claim a family member or loved one is in serious trouble and urgently needs money for bail, legal fees or another emergency. They may pose as the loved one, a lawyer or a police officer. Victims may be pressured to act quickly, keep the situation secret or withdraw cash for a courier to collect.
Police warn that scammers can spoof caller ID to make calls appear to come from a police service, RCMP detachment or another trusted organization. An official-looking name or number does not prove a call is legitimate.
Warning signs and how to protect yourself
- The RCMP will never threaten you by text or email and will never demand a payment
- Don’t click on links or download attachments in unsolicited text messages or emails
- Never send your personal, credit card or banking details in response to unsolicited messages, and do not enter those details on any website if you are not certain the site is genuine
- Take time to verify the source of any message
- The RCMP will never ask:
- to transfer money
- for remote access to your computer
- for personal information, including your name, date of birth, phone number, email, address or banking details through text or email
- Watch for spelling mistakes, which can be a warning sign of fraud
- Do not download unsolicited attachments, which may contain viruses or malware
- Contact your local RCMP detachment directly to check whether a message is legitimate
- Find more tips for protecting yourself at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website here
Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of fraud should report it to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Example of legitimate communications from the RCMP
The RCMP Canadian Firearms Program may legitimately contact licence holders about new services, regulatory changes, licence applications or missing information needed to process an application, including payment information.
Those messages will not contain threats, demand immediate payment or request banking information by text or email.
Anyone unsure about a message should not click links, open attachments or reply. Instead, they should check their MyCFP or Individual Web Services account for a secure message, or call the Canadian Firearms Program contact centre directly.
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