The District of Sooke is warning residents that phone calls from people claiming to be from Sooke Fire Rescue and soliciting donations are fraudulent.
It says individuals falsely claiming to represent the fire department have been calling community members and asking for financial contributions.
The district says Sooke Fire Rescue Services does not solicit donations for any charitable works, such as fundraising in support of the Sooke Food Bank and Christmas Bureau, over the phone, and any such requests should be treated as scams.
It warned anyone who receives such a call not to provide any personal or financial information.
“We are concerned that residents may fall victim to these deceptive calls,” said Fire Chief Wayne Kennedy in a statement Wednesday. “We urge everyone to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities and thank the residents who alerted us to this issue.”
Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call is asked to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
You can also contact the Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241.
