RNC warns scammers spoof former Labrador City OIC number

What happened

VOCM reported on 7 November 2026 that the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) has received numerous reports from people outside Newfoundland and Labrador who were called from 709-944-3405, a number formerly associated with the Officer in Charge of the Labrador City detachment. The number is being spoofed, and police are impersonated and not involved in the calls.

How the scam works

According to the RNC, the callers claim that police have someone in custody and then try to obtain further information from the person they reach. The custody story is designed to frighten: the recipient may assume a relative or friend has been arrested and want to help immediately. Showing a real police number on caller ID makes the call look official, and someone who searches the number may find that it really did belong to a detachment, which can make the call more convincing.

Calls like this often move on to requests for personal details, bail or legal fees, or payment to release the supposed detainee. Fraudsters may also use the information gathered in a first call to make later approaches more believable. Caller ID spoofing is easy and cheap, so a familiar number is never proof of who is calling, and the fact that people outside the province are being targeted shows that the number has simply been chosen for its official look.

The RNC advises ending such calls and contacting police on 709-729-8000 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on 1-888-495-8501. It reminds the public that law enforcement will not demand money over the phone as part of any judicial process. Anyone who has already shared information or sent money should contact their bank and report the call.

Source

VOCM report, 7 November 2026: https://vocm.com/2026/11/07/316020/