Fake cops called out for making scam calls to Burlington residents

A phone scam is back where the caller pretends he is representing local police departments.

Several Burlington residents have recently reached out on social media channels questioning the calls and whether they are legitimate.

The caller usually states they are collecting information for the police department and starts asking personal questions.

In some cases, the caller says they represent the Burlington Police Department. Burlington, Ontario doesn’t have its own police department, it is part of the of Halton Regional Police Service.

When the same scam was run a few months ago Halton police issued a bulletin making it clear they were not involved.

“HRPS (Halton Regional Police Service) is NOT affiliated with this,” police indicated back in May.

According to Halton police, a telephone survey is something they would not normally do.

Because of the sophisticated techniques of scammers, police admit it can be difficult to determine what is real and what is fake.

“Given scams can take on a variety of different forms and approaches, how one verifies legitimacy can vary,” police say.

To help, Halton police have set up a webpage to help guide you.

You can follow this link for tips and other advice to keep yourself safe.