Don’t pick up! Scam calls are impersonating this major Canadian agency

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Beware of any calls from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The government agency says it’s a scam.

In a post shared on X on Thursday, the broadcasting and telecom regulator is warning Canadians of scam calls that are impersonating the CRTC.

“If you have not requested to be contacted by the CRTC, be careful. We will never ask you for personal or financial information,” the notice reads.

The post links to the commission’s site explaining how to spot Caller ID Spoofing, which is the usual scam done over the phone.

“Your caller identification display (Caller ID) normally indicates the phone number and name associated with the line used to call you,” reads the site. “Caller ID spoofing is the act of altering the Caller ID displayed to the person receiving the call.”

The CRTC says there can be legitimate and illegitimate uses for Caller ID spoofing.

It gives examples of legitimate purposes, including:

  • A call centre that places legitimate calls on behalf of clients and alters its Called ID information to display its client’s name and telephone number
  • A doctor calling to discuss a patient’s lab results may want to display the hospital’s general call back number as their Called ID to direct all future inquiries appropriately

Illegitimate examples include:

  • Illegitimate telemarketers that change their Caller ID information to misrepresent themselves and trick Canadians into answering the call
  • The Caller ID is altered to match the first six digits of your telephone number so that it looks like a local call, perhaps even from a neighbour in your area. This practice is often referred to as “neighbouring”
  • The Caller ID is altered to display your own telephone number. This practice is often referred to as “mirroring”
  • The Caller ID is altered to display the number of another individual and/or organization (i.e., pose as a recognizable brand or a government organization)

If you’re worried about falling for this scam, there are plenty of ways you can protect yourself.

According to the CRTC, you can register your phone number on the National Do Not Call List, or file a complaint about an unwanted telemarketing call.

The regulator stresses to be cautious if any unknown callers ask for your personal information like banking info and passwords.

“When in doubt, hang up and call the number on your bank statement or the organization’s website,” advises the CRTC.

You can also look into your phone service provider’s scam call protection features.

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