Manitoba RCMP are issuing a warning about phone call scams.

They say fraudsters are impersonating RCMP phone numbers and demanding victims send large sums of money to avoid being arrested.

Thompson RCMP were recently notified that the detachment’s phone number was “spoofed”, and being used by a scammer to trick someone into sending a large amount of money through the mail.

“Spoofing” is when a scammer manipulates the caller ID information to disguise their identity — often in an attempt to steal your money or valuable personal information.

The RCMP and all government agencies, including Service Canada, will never call demanding money for any reason. 

If you’ve received one of these calls or believe you may have been the victim of fraud, you should contact your local RCMP detachment, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.