Langley RCMP warn scammers are spoofing detachment’s number

Langley RCMP are warning residents that scammers are faking the detachment’s phone number and posing as police officers investigating identity theft.

The callers ask for personal information while making the call appear to come from the Langley RCMP, the detachment said in a release on Thursday. The technique, known as spoofing, lets criminals falsify a phone number so they appear to be calling from a legitimate organization.

“Scammers can make it look like they are calling from a legitimate phone number, including a police detachment,” said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak of the Langley RCMP. “If you receive a call claiming to be from police and are unsure if it is legitimate, hang up and call the detachment directly using a publicly listed phone number to verify the call.”

Police said residents should not give personal, financial or banking information over the phone unless they are certain who they are speaking with. Because scammers can change the number that shows on call display, police suggest letting unexpected calls from unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail first.

Anyone who gets a call from someone claiming to be a police officer can ask for the officer’s name and the file number, then call the detachment back on its publicly listed number to check, the RCMP said.

It is the second Lower Mainland RCMP detachment in less than two weeks to report its number being spoofed. White Rock RCMP issued a similar warning on Oct. 27. Police have not said whether the two sets of calls are connected.

Victims of fraud can report it to the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200 or online, and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.