1. In this con, victims get a call from someone pretending to be from Service Canada or another government agency, saying their social insurance number (SIN) has been blocked, compromised or suspended. The call might be one of the latest variations on caller ID spoofing—a scam in which fraudsters disguise the number seen of the ID display in order to trick victims into answering the phone and trusting the caller. Typically, the person on the line will ask for SIN and other personal info, such as date of birth, address and so on. Don’t do it. As the CRTC explains, “Victims who provide their personal information to fraudsters are at risk of identity fraud.”

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Don’t trust call display. “It may say ‘Police’ or ‘ABC’, but in reality, it is actually a scammer,” warns Thomson.
If you get a call from a person saying they represent a company or government agency and asking for personal information, hang up and call the number on your account statement or on the company or government agency’s website to verify.
Never provide personal information such as your SIN, account numbers, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls.
Register your telephone number on the National Do Not Call List. Check out the CRTC’s Telemarketing Consumer Alerts to help identify spoofed calls.
Review the calling options or features available to block or filter unsolicited and illegitimate telemarketing calls.
If you suspect fraud, you can report it to your local police or the CAFC (1-888-495-8501).