Waterloo Regional Police are continuing to receive reports of a fraud scam targeting residents across Waterloo Region involving fraudulent offers for discounted mobile devices and telecommunications services.

Over the past several weeks, police have received multiple reports from victims who were contacted by individuals claiming to represent a telecommunications company. Victims were offered significant discounts on existing services, free devices, or promotional upgrades.

In several reported incidents, victims were directed to order new mobile devices through legitimate accounts or service providers. Victims were then instructed to return the devices using shipping labels or surrender them to individuals who attended their residences to collect the devices. In other cases, victims provided personal information or financial information to those responsible for the scam.

Some victims have suffered financial losses, while others were able to identify the scam before money or property was lost.

Waterloo Regional Police are reminding residents to take precautions when receiving unsolicited calls, emails, or text messages offering discounts, promotions, or account upgrades.

Residents are encouraged to:

• Independently contact the company using a phone number obtained from the company's official website or an existing bill before agreeing to any offer.
• Be cautious of unsolicited offers involving free devices, substantial discounts, or requests to upgrade accounts.
• Never provide personal, banking, credit card, or identification information to an unsolicited caller.
• Verify any request to ship, return, or hand over a device before taking action.
• Be suspicious of requests for tracking numbers, account credentials, verification codes, or copies of identification documents.

Police also remind residents that legitimate companies will not send representatives to a residence to collect bank cards, credit cards, personal electronics, or mobile devices as part of a fraud investigation or account verification process.

Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam should immediately contact their financial institution, monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, and report the incident to police. Victims are also encouraged to report frauds and attempted frauds to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.