Suspended SIN scam targets people in Ontario

A Social Insurance Number (SIN) scam is circulating in Ontario.

People are getting calls informing them their SIN has been suspended.

“We just suspended your Social Insurance Number because we found some suspicious activity,” a recorded voice says in the scam call. “So if you want to know about this case, just press one.”

This scam was making the rounds a few years ago but appears to be back.

In 2019, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada warned of a scam where callers claimed that SINs were compromised.

The callers then ask the victim to confirm their SIN over the phone and sometimes claim the individual needs a new number.

The fraudulent callers often say they are from government departments. Sometimes the phone numbers appear to be legitimate.

Service Canada and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said these calls are fraudulent.

Fraudsters can mask their phone number with legitimate government phone numbers to gain access to personal or financial information.

“Some of the calls have occurred following highly publicized privacy breaches,” the warning notes. “In several instances, the callers have mentioned a real and recent data breach during their call.”

Last month, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said they were getting reports of scammers purporting to be from the Canada Revenue Agency. The message includes the victim’s full name and SIN and asks that a payment be sent to a phone number.

“Remember that the Canada Revenue Agency will never ask for a payment via text message,” the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warned. “If you have been part of a breach or a victim of identity theft, fraudsters will use the information as a tool to steal your money.”

Tips to avoid scams include:

• Don’t give personal information such as a credit card number or Social Insurance Number over the phone unless it’s to a trusted person or you initiated the call yourself.
• If someone calls unexpectedly and requests your personal or financial information, try calling the organization they are representing to verify that the request is legitimate. Reputable firms never ask for personal information without significant safeguards.

For more information and to report frauds, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.