Scammers are feeding on community desire to fund its firefighters in a latest phone fraud hitting Sooke.
The district was alerted to fraudulent calls – where someone falsely claims to be a fire services representative and asking for financial contributions – and promptly warned the public Wednesday (Sept. 11).
“We are concerned that residents may fall victim to these deceptive calls,” Fire Chief Wayne Kennedy said in a news release. “We urge everyone to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities and thank the residents who alerted us to this issue.”
Sooke Fire Rescue does not solicit donations for any charitable works, such as fundraising in support of the Sooke Food Bank and Christmas Bureau, over the phone.
Anyone who receives a call like that should not provide any personal or financial information.
Scam calls should be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
Residents can also contact Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241.
