Police warn public about telephone scam using STARS lottery

Fraudsters are using ambulance charity STARS to scam Saskatchewan residents in a new phone scam.

Saskatoon police issued a scam alert over the weekend, as did Moose Jaw police in September.

The lottery scam involves a call from someone pretending to be a representative of the STARS lottery. The caller tells the intended victim that she has won a lottery prize, such as a new car or money.

The target is then told that she must send payment to receive the prize. They may say that the payment should cover the delivery of the new car and ask for a money order or gift cards as payment.

The STARS Lottery said it will never require shipping or other costs to claim a prize, according to the charity’s website. The annual raffle raises funds for the STARS air ambulance service based in Saskatoon and Regina.

Police have advised that if you receive such a call, do not disclose personal details and hang up immediately. Police are also advising not to click on any links sent in a text message or email.

This is the latest scam targeting Saskatchewan. In August, the City of Saskatoon warned residents about a phone scam in which people were threatened with unpaid utility bills.

In this scam, victims are told their power will be shut off unless they send money to Saskatoon Light & Power for an unpaid bill. Several businesses have reported receiving such calls.

The City of Saskatoon never requests credit card or bank account information via phone, text message or email, the city said in a press release.