Fraudsters impersonating Toronto police officers in phone scam: TPS

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is warning of a telephone scam of fraudsters impersonating officers and asking victims to show them their identification.

A police spokesperson said there have been several instances over the last few weeks where citizens have received phone calls from individuals identifying as TPS officers. The scam is mainly occurring in Alberta and Saskatchewan, police said.

It’s been reported that a suspect will call a resident stating that they are a police officer. The suspect poses as a real officer whose name and number are posted on the TPS website.

RELATED: Police warn of taxi scam that steals PIN numbers from unsuspecting victims

If questioned by the victim, the suspect will tell the person they can confirm the information by visiting the TPS website. The suspect advises the victim that copies of their identification have been located during an investigation and asks them to verify that they are not involved.

Police say the suspect requests a video call to see the person and confirm their identity. The suspect then asks the victim to provide their identification by presenting a government-issued ID.

TPS believes the suspect is obtaining the victim’s ID for fraudulent purposes.

Toronto police said officers never ask someone for their identification over video calls. Instead, a local police service would visit in person to confirm someone’s identity and involvement in an investigation.

TPS also said officers would never request cash, crypto-currency, valuables or any form of payment during an investigation.