Scam involving death threats, graphic images over text detected in Regina: RPS
An ongoing online scam that threatens people’s safety and lives has now been reported in the Queen City, according to the Regina Police Service (RPS).
The scam, which has been seen in other parts of Canada, appeared in Regina over the past week.
In a release, RPS said reports in Regina have included the victim receiving a text on their phone, with the sender identifying himself as being the president of an escort company and accusing the victim of not paying for services before demanding payment and telling the victim that their life or their families lives are in danger if they do not receive a payment.
RPS said reports have also come in of victims getting text messages that show graphic images depicting victims of violent assaults and homicides, as well as images or videos with armed, masked men.
Police are advising the public to remain calm and objective when reading or listening to unsolicited messages, adding perpetrators always try to create urgency and anxiety no matter what type of scam it is.
“Assess the information contained in the call or message, do not add your personal information when someone asks for, or demands it. Do not make [any] payment, an RPS news release said.
People are encouraged to make a report with their local police service if they have concerns for their safety, if they feel they are the victim of a scam, or if they have suffered a financial loss as the result of a scam.
Members of the public may also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for general information about scams and frauds.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.