Toronto Police warn of cellphone fraud scam targeting customers with fake service offers
Fraudsters pose as service providers, trick victims into shipping expensive phones to criminals. Victims left with thousands in unauthorized charges.
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Toronto Police are warning residents about a scam in which fraudsters make unsolicited calls posing as employees of real cellphone service providers, offering discounts or free devices to trick victims into authorizing expensive phone shipments.
Victims across the city have been left with thousands of dollars in charges for cellphones and wireless plans they did not authorize. Police said they have carried out an investigation, executed a search warrant, made an arrest and recovered several new cellphones and other electronic devices with a combined retail value of tens of thousands of dollars.
The scam works like this: a caller claims to represent the victim's service provider and offers a discounted service, account upgrade, or free cellphone as a reward for loyalty. The caller may have personal information about the victim, making the offer seem legitimate. The fraudster then uses that information to access the victim's account or arrange for cellphones to be shipped to their home address.
The caller tells the victim to keep one phone as part of the promised upgrade and says additional or incorrect devices were sent by mistake and must be returned. The fraudster then provides a shipping label or address. The victim believes they are returning phones to the service provider, but they are actually shipped to addresses controlled by the scammer.
The victim discovers the fraud only after receiving a bill or contacting their provider. "In some cases, the provider will not remove the charges because the devices were delivered to the victim but were not returned directly to the company," police said.
Toronto Police's financial crimes unit offers these tips to avoid being scammed: be cautious of unsolicited calls offering discounts or free phones; do not rely on caller ID, which can be manipulated; do not provide personal information, account details, passwords, PINs or verification codes to unsolicited callers; if you receive an unexpected offer, end the call and contact your provider using the number on your official bill or the provider's website.
How many victims have reported this scam across Toronto?
Has the arrested suspect been charged, and with what offences?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How does the cellphone fraud scam work?
Fraudsters call claiming to represent your service provider and offer discounts, upgrades, or free phones. They use personal information to access your account or arrange shipments to your address, then trick you into shipping the devices to addresses they control by claiming they were sent by mistake.
What did Toronto Police recover in their investigation?
Toronto Police recovered several new cellphones and other electronic devices with a combined retail value of tens of thousands of dollars after executing a search warrant and making an arrest.
What should you do if you receive an unexpected service offer?
End the call and contact your provider using the phone number on your official bill or through the provider's website. Do not provide personal information, account details, passwords, PINs, or verification codes to unsolicited callers.
