In the scam, the victim receives communication from the scammer posing as a cell phone carrier representative, with the bulk of recent incidents claiming to be associated with Telus. The scammer makes a promotional offer of a new phone for a low monthly rate, and proceeds to request the victim’s security code and account password, as well as other personal details in order to complete the transaction. The scammer then logs into the victim’s legitimate cell phone provider account and orders a new phone to be shipped to the victim’s home address. The scammer also gives the victim instructions to call back once they receive the phone to activate it.
When the phone arrives and the victims calls back, the victim is told there is a problem with the phone and they need to return it to an address the scammer provides. The victim then inadvertently ships the phone to the scammer, who now has the new phone, while the victim is left with the bill from their cell phone provider.
“The scam can be hard to spot at first, because the scammer is using the complainant’s actual cell phone account to order and ship them the phone,” says Det. Linda Herczeg with the EPS Financial Crimes Section. “That’s why we are warning citizens of this sophisticated scam. If you have lost money or provided personal information to this scam, please don’t hesitate to contact police.”
As of Dec. 18, 2024, the EPS has received 91 reports of this scam with a total reported loss of more than $600,000.
To avoid scams like this one, police recommend the following tips:
- Legitimate phone company representatives will never ask for your login credentials. Never provide your account passwords to anyone you don’t trust.
- If someone calls you claiming to be from a certain organization, you can hang up, find the phone number yourself and call the organization. You can then verify if the phone call you just received was legitimate.
Check out the EPS website for more information about how to spot a scam and common frauds.
Anyone who believes they may have lost money or personal information in this scam is encouraged to report it to the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.