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Barrie police warn of fraudulent phone calls

Over the past 48 hours, the Alternate Response Unit has received calls from citizens who were told their credit card had been compromised
phone scam fraud
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NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
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Barrie Police would like to warn citizens of Barrie of a recent phone scam that has been brought to our attention. 

Over the last 48 hours, our Alternate Response Unit has received multiple phone calls from people in our area who have received calls advising them that their credit card had been compromised.

They are advised that they are to make an appointment at their local branch with a specific person, in most cases a 'James Pattison'. They are directed to go into the bank and speak to no one, that this 'James Pattison' will approach them and "help them out”. 

Please be weary of any calls from financial institutions that require you to provide personal information over the phone or request you do something that seems out of the norm. 

A good rule of thumb is to call your credit card company or bank using the number found on the back of your card to determine if your card has been compromised or not.

At this time the Barrie Police Service has not had any reports of persons who have fallen victim to this fraud.  For more information on how to protect yourself from phone scams or other financial frauds, check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center resources HERE and take a look at The Little Black Book of Scams

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