Guest Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Someone called him on the phone, scared him into giving them their SIN and then told him to withdraw money (which he did). He has the cash sitting at home and is waiting for a phone call tomorrow. I found this out tonight when I called him. I have told him a million times not to trust people that call, not to give out information, etc, etc.... but here we are. I cannot take the next three days off work as we are finishing a big project so I'm having to instruct him to go to the police and report what happened, as well as let his bank know. I have to get in touch with the credit bureaus and let them know as well, and then it gets a bit confusing. Apparently people need to let CRA know as well if this happens? If someone has experience with this, please let me know and give me advice if you have any. I was initially very upset but called my dad back to have a more normal conversation and tell him not to stress too much. He's currently fighting cancer so he doesn't need any extra stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Am.Ironman Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Those calls really piss me off and it is because of stories like this. I hope it all works out for you and your father. Hopefully the RCMP/CRA can catch them 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 9 minutes ago, I.Am.Ironman said: Those calls really piss me off and it is because of stories like this. I hope it all works out for you and your father. Hopefully the RCMP/CRA can catch them Thanks for your thoughts, I'm not really thinking that anybody will be caught anywhere over these scams to be honest. I've just tried calling the credit bureaus and they want a police report number so that will be step one tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 No experience or real advice dealing with this beyond contacting your financial institution & the CRA. (here's the CRA page on this; https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/protect-yourself-against-fraud.html) But just wanted to wish you & your dad the best. What an unnecessary nuisance for your family. Hope its resolved without any losses. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuckin_futz Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 No real advice for you. Hope it works out and that your dad gets well. Having elderly parents can certainly be a bit of an adventure at times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) https://globalnews.ca/news/5706918/capital-one-breach-new-social-insurance-number-sin/ Some good stuff in here. Edited March 23, 2022 by King Heffy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadcanucks Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 38 minutes ago, VancouverHabitant said: Someone called him on the phone, scared him into giving them their SIN and then told him to withdraw money (which he did). He has the cash sitting at home and is waiting for a phone call tomorrow. I found this out tonight when I called him. I have told him a million times not to trust people that call, not to give out information, etc, etc.... but here we are. I cannot take the next three days off work as we are finishing a big project so I'm having to instruct him to go to the police and report what happened, as well as let his bank know. I have to get in touch with the credit bureaus and let them know as well, and then it gets a bit confusing. Apparently people need to let CRA know as well if this happens? If someone has experience with this, please let me know and give me advice if you have any. I was initially very upset but called my dad back to have a more normal conversation and tell him not to stress too much. He's currently fighting cancer so he doesn't need any extra stress. Sounds like you're taking all the right steps @VancouverHabitant. Never have experienced what you and your father are going through, but letting the CRA, a trusted agency, know that your father's SIN has been compromised, sounds like the smart thing to do. It will be logged in your father's SIN file/account and there will be a permanent record for your father to reference in the future. Hope all works out for your pop. Glad that your father has you to watch out for him. And phuck cancer. And phuck those a$$hole scammers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Not that this helps for your current situation, but everyone that has a phone should also subscribe to Call Control. It's free. I still have a home phone with Telus. They offer a free feature called Call Control with acts like an 'I am not a robot' test on your phone. It's available for both landlines and cellphones. I believe it was mandated by the CRTC, so every top-tier provider in Canada should have it. My niece has Public Mobile and they don't offer it. On my online account, I can add up to 25 numbers that automatically get through to our line. Any number that is not on that list gets a message "This customer subscribes to call control. Enter X number to complete your call.", or something like that. The number is random so it changes every time someone calls. Auto dialers can't respond to the message so the call never gets through. https://www.telus.com/en/bc/support/article/call-control-for-mobile-devices-explained I have it on my phone. I haven't had a single robo call since adding it. I made my folks and my father-in-law get it too. They also haven't had any robo calls since adding it. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 2 minutes ago, goalie13 said: Not that this helps for your current situation, but everyone that has a phone should also subscribe to Call Control. It's free. I still have a home phone with Telus. They offer a free feature called Call Control with acts like an 'I am not a robot' test on your phone. It's available for both landlines and cellphones. I believe it was mandated by the CRTC, so every top-tier provider in Canada should have it. My niece has Public Mobile and they don't offer it. On my online account, I can add up to 25 numbers that automatically get through to our line. Any number that is not on that list gets a message "This customer subscribes to call control. Enter X number to complete your call.", or something like that. The number is random so it changes every time someone calls. Auto dialers can't respond to the message so the call never gets through. https://www.telus.com/en/bc/support/article/call-control-for-mobile-devices-explained I have it on my phone. I haven't had a single robo call since adding it. I made my folks and my father-in-law get it too. They also haven't had any robo calls since adding it. Can't recommend it highly enough. The slight problem that it does cause is a lot of medical calls are automated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mind Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 You've taken the right steps by calling the bank and CRA. If he has any way to login to online banking, might be good to change that login info in case it was given out when withdrawing money. Being a stressful call, he might not remember all the info he gave out. If the SIN was the only thing given out, I don't think there's too much that they can do with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4petesake Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Sorry this is happening to you both. Definitely let the police know that he is expecting a return call tomorrow, that may pique their interest. What to do if it’s been stolen Contact Service Canada if you lose your SIN or suspect it is being used improperly. Also contact the department if you change your name, citizenship or on behalf of a loved one if he or she passes away. If a breach has already occurred, contact police and ask for a copy of the report. Then call your creditors (bank, credit card companies, etc.), cancel your cards and ask new ones to be issued. (Be sure to pick a new PIN.) Write down all the steps you’ve taken to address the possible fraud, logging who you’ve called and whom you’ve spoken with. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is a great resource if you suspect your identity has been compromised in any way. Monitor your mail Watch your bank statements and credit card bills for any suspicious activity or purchases, and be aware of your billing cycles. Make sure you’re not missing any seemingly mundane invoices, and check for signs of tampering, such as open envelopes or broken mailbox locks. Redirecting mail may be one of the ways fraudsters will try to learn more about you and your identity. Check your credit reports Contact either of Canada’s two national credit bureaus -- TransUnion and Equifax – and ask for a free copy of your credit report. For a fee, both of these agencies will also regularly monitor your credit, alerting you to any attempts to set up a new account (such as a credit card) in your name. In general, the Privacy Commission suggests you access your credit report once a year to ensure its accuracy. Insurance for identity theft fraud is also available through TransUnion and Equifax, as well as via a number of insurance agencies. Change your passwords Do it often and make them difficult. While this has the No. 1 piece of advice coming out of the “Heartbleed” bug security scare -- and should be common practice is today’s hyperconnected age -- many of us are guilty of not doing it. When you make the switch, don’t choose your mother’s maiden name, your pet’s name, the name of your street or your favourite sports team. Avoid the obvious or anything that someone might be able to guess. Also consider using different passwords for different sites, so if one is comprised, the rest of your online “footprint” will still be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Thank you all I'll just write up a quick update when I'm done with all the calling and let you know what it was like. Maybe someone else will have their elderly family member scammed and this could potentially help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elias Pettersson Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 You don't really need to deal with the bank as it looks like your dad was there on his own to withdraw the money. Nobody can access your bank accounts with a SIN number. The SIN number is connected to your credit bureaus, CRA accounts (pensions) and also your employer. What you need to do is contact Equifax and Trans Union and advise them that your father's SIN number has been stolen. They will put a message on the credit bureau that the SIN number has been compromised and that fraud may have occurred. The message stays on the bureau for 6 years. If someone wants to get credit in your father's name and the credit card company or bank pulls the credit bureau then they would see the message and immediately flag it. You don't need to do anything with his credit cards or bank accounts as the SIN number is only connected to the credit bureau itself, so changing passwords, cancelling credit cards or bank accounts isn't really going to help. As for CRA, best is to let them know so they have it on file. There isn't much a thief can do with pension money or taxes. The biggest threat with someone stealing your SIN and knowing your full name and address is identity theft. So as long as this is addressed with calling the credit bureaus your dad should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucker 67 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 So horrible, I hate hearing of these things, but I know it happens. I worry about my parents as well. There's a special place in hell for these scammers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kloubek Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 F scammers. They always prey on the weak, like predatory animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 8 hours ago, King Heffy said: Can't recommend it highly enough. The slight problem that it does cause is a lot of medical calls are automated. There is that one downside. But as it gets more common, some places are starting to advise what number to add to call control to make sure they get through. We've added VIHA's number to my father-in-law's list. I had to wait for a callback from WestJet the other day and they advised what number to add to my call control so the call would go through. Hopefully the scammers don't figure out how to get around this simple tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 I've been listening to a lot of scambaiters recently and although it might not undo the crimes of these dirtbags, it can still be incredibly satisfying seeing them get extremely frustrated by people wasting their time. One that I love who uses hilarious improv is Kitboga, who both streams on Twitch and regularly posts YouTube videos of his calls with scammers. I'm glad at least that your dad didn't get so far as actually sending the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurn Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 People that scam money from the elderly should be treated as on the same scum level as those that prey on kids, Serious jail time on a first offence-never get out if there is a second occurrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 5 minutes ago, gurn said: People that scam money from the elderly should be treated as on the same scum level as those that prey on kids, Serious jail time on a first offence-never get out if there is a second occurrence. Never get out on first offence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 If your dad has a cellphone you may want to contact his provider and let them know. If they have all of his personal info they may be able to port his number and assume his identity. Probably not as much of a risk as most elderly don't have much of an online footprint but better safe than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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