“Broken phone scam” defrauds 3 North Vancouver victims of nearly $9K

North Vancouver RCMP sent out a warning Thursday about a scam that has been circulating in the community.

Scammers are pretending to be loved ones who need money for broken phones — three reports have been received since January of this year totalling a loss of nearly $9,000, police say.

In this scam, victims receive text messages from unknown numbers saying they have dropped or damaged their cell phones.

“The suspect will provide an alternate phone number to send a text message. The suspect will then ask for funds to pay for repairs or to help pay a bill,” mounties said.

Police say, in all three cases, the victims were defrauded by an unknown number pretending to be their daughter. The scammer asks the victims for an e-transfer to an email account for money to either pay for a new phone or pay off a bill for a phone that was either lost or broken.

“North Vancouver RCMP wants to remind residents if you receive a strange message claiming to be from a loved one, contact the person on the phone number you have in your contact list,” said Constable Mansoor Sahak with North Vancouver RCMP.

“If possible, call another family member to verify the source of the text.”

Mounties ask the public to be wary of calls and messages asking for “immediate action and money for a family member in distress” and be careful of what is posted online because scammers can get information easily through social media.

“Trust your instincts. Remember, if it feels wrong, it probably is a scam,” police said.