Saskatoon Police say there is a new scam doing the rounds in Saskatoon where fraudsters who claim to be from Service Canada, call people to inform them their SIN, or social insurance number, has been used fraudulently.

The victim is told that their SIN is involved in criminal investigations and a warrant for their arrest has been issued. The victim is then told to pay a fee to avoid being arrested. The fraudsters reportedly call the victim again using a spoofed Saskatoon Police Service or RCMP phone number.

The victim, on this second phone call, is given instructions on how to deposit the money into bitcoin ATMs or purchase Google Play gift cards.

Police and government agencies will never ask for bitcoin payment. If you are unsure about the call, ask the caller for their number to call them back. If they refuse or make you feel threatened or rushed, it is likely a scam. You can also contact the government agency, police or your financial institution for advice.

If you have become a victim of Fraud, please report it to saskatoonpolice.ca/onlinereporting/fraud/. To report attempted and unsuccessful scams, please report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm