Mississauga, Brampton residents warned of scam that seeks to “free them” from bogus drug prosecutions
Published September 7, 2021 at 4:29 pm
Mississauga and Brampton residents are being warned by police to beware a telephone scam that seeks to take their cash in return for “freeing them” from bogus drug prosecutions.
Peel Regional Police say they’ve received more than a dozen calls from residents reporting they’ve been contacted by people identifying themselves as Canadian customs officers who tell the would-be victims that drugs have been found inside a package with their name on it at the border.
The scammers, pretending to be Canada Border Services Agency officers, then demand money in exchange for dropping any charges.
“We assure you that this isn’t a legitimate call. Please don’t pay them,” police say.
Peel police Const. Akhil Mooken said while he doesn’t know if this is a new scam, it’s the first he’s heard of it.
He also assures people who’ve received such calls, or any others who do, that it’s a scam to be ignored and then reported to police.
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“That’s not how policing is done. Our goal is to prosecute (when crimes are committed), not give people a way to buy their way out of it,” he said.
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