SaskTel says it’s aware of a recent increase in the amount of scam calls originating from international locations and says it is actively working to block as many of these calls as possible. Anyone who receives an unexpected call from an international location is advised to ignore the call and do not call the number back. If you do answer the call, hang up immediately.

SaskTel says the majority of nuisance calls, including scams, are generated by computer-dialers that enable spammers to dial many numbers at once. SaskTel says it is working with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and others in the industry to implement solutions to combat the problem.

Scam calls like these can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) on their website or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Additionally, if you think you were the victim of a crime as a result of a scam call, you should contact the RCMP or your local police service. Most cell phones have built in features that can help to prevent some types of scam calls, or alternatively there are applications that can be downloaded to help with this.

To learn more about these features and other tips to help reduce the amount of scam calls you receive, go here.