According to Health Canada, fraudsters are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic by making fake calls,  spoofing the number from COVID-19 information service.

Health Canada started warning Canadians about this in late February, with the fake calls spoofing the info service line still happening in March.

“#FraudAlert: There are reports of fraudulent calls that appear to be from the #COVID19 Info Service at 1-833-784-4397. Don’t give out personal info if you didn’t initiate the call,” writes Health Canada.

Canadians are told if they receive a suspicious call to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. However, you may have some difficulty getting through as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website says “Our offices are currently operating at a reduced capacity, due to the evolving COVID-19 situation.” Canadians are being told to contact local police if they have been a victim of fraud, while also reporting their file online with the federal organization.

Canadians are being warned to beware of scams, as “fraudsters want to profit from consumers’ fears, uncertainties and misinformation.”

For fraudulent calls making their way to wireless phones, new caller ID anti-spoofing tech called STIR/SHAKEN has yet to be implemented. The ‘Big 3’ recently asked the CRTC to delay the mandated September 30,  2020 rollout date by one year, citing legacy equipment issues and how the technology will not prevent calls coming from outside of the United States at launch.