Police Warn About STARS Lottery Scam

Submitted by the Moose Jaw Police Service

The Moose Jaw Police Service is advising the public to be aware of the “STARS Lottery” phone scam that is once again been circulated within Moose Jaw.

The “STARS Lottery Scam” is when the caller claims to represent STARS Air Ambulance and explains to the victim that they have won a new vehicle, or a cash prize, ranging from $30,000 to $350,000.

The fraudster will attempt to manipulate people by falsely claiming they have won an extravagant prize and ask them to send payment in order to claim their prize.

To protect yourself, always keep these points in mind:

You will never be asked to send money to claim any lottery prize. If you are being asked to send a cheque, money order, or payment of any kind to claim your lottery prize, it is a scam. Hang up the phone or delete the email immediately.

If you become suspicious, check with STARS directly to verify if you are a winner and if the lottery is legitimate.

In some instances, the fraudster has demanded payment via gift cards, as a way to claim the prize. As a reminder, do not provide the scammer with the access codes for the gift cards under any circumstance.

The Moose Jaw Police Service would also like to remind the public not to provide personal information such as their Social Insurance Number (SIN), or banking details over the phone.

If you or someone you know has fallen to a scam, please get in touch with the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600. If you prefer to remain anonymous, call the Moose Jaw Crime Stoppers with your information at 1-800-222-8477 , go online at p3tips.com, or download the mobile app.

For more information on fraud attempts visit Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm .