A resident of the Riverview community contacted the Cochrane Eagle after receiving a fraudulent phone message last week.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, described the automated message as professional.
They said the message was left from Canada Revenue Agency, and listed a phone number and office hours.
It asked returning callers to have their social insurance numbers handy.
The number appeared as a Government of Canada phone number.
Concerned, the resident said they located and called the direct number to Revenue Canada.
The resident said the agency had no records of ever contacting the Cochrane family.
After contacting RCMP, the resident was guided towards the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, previously known as PhoneBusters, to report the call.
“Residents need to be careful of people asking to share information over the phone,” said Cochrane RCMP Cpl. Mel Calahasen.
Before handing over your social insurance number, Calahasen recommended residents do a little research to determine if the company or person on the other end of the phone line is legitimate.
To learn more about scams, visit antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/.
To report a suspicious phone call, contact Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000.
