Three Elliot Lake residents are warning others about a new possible phone scam.
Shelley Cadieux said on Feb. 22, she received a phone call from an unknown number, stating she had unpaid parking tickets in Sault Ste. Marie and that she needed to pay them immediately with her Visa card over the phone or face repercussions.
"So the call began by asking my name and I responded that if she is calling me, she should already have my name," she began. "Then I asked her who she was. She said she was from Sault Ste. Marie and that I had unpaid tickets there from six months ago. I told her I haven't been to the Sault in about a year and have no vehicle in my name, that they were in my husband's name. I proceeded to ask her to send me anything she had on me in the mail about tickets. She then asked me for my address so I responded with if she had my unpaid tickets then she should have my address. This woman was so rude and persistent. She said I had to pay them now over the phone with my credit card or my license will be suspended. I hung up. I just want to get the word out there."
Maxine Lance said she experienced something similar to Cadieux's experience but received a call from someone in North Bay stating she had unpaid tickets there as well as Sturgeon Falls.
"The funny part about this phone call is that I haven't been to North Bay or Sturgeon Falls in 10 years," she explained. "The call was pretty much about how this woman wanted me to pay for tickets in Sturgeon Falls and North Bay from July of last year. This woman said I needed to pay them with my credit card ASAP or she was sending the report to the police. I said to go ahead and send it. I didn't have a license 10 years ago. I'm only 25."
According to Lance, her husband has received a call as well on Feb. 24 from a man saying he had unpaid parking tickets in Parry Sound. Lance's husband, Philip, said he's never parked his car anywhere in Parry Sound.
"The man on the phone said there were pictures as well of me parking on some streets in Parry Sound and that I needed to pay these tickets today or else," he explained. "It was a Saturday. Who does that? Throughout the phone call, the gentleman asked for my birthday, address and my Visa card number. I don't have a Visa card. I told him if he was calling me, he should already have my address and date of birth."
Both Philip and Maxine said they did online research about this apparent scam and didn't find any other information. Both said they were planning on informing the police about their experiences.
"We just want other people to know about this scam because that's what I think this is, a scam," said Philip. "I just hope some poor elderly person doesn't fall victim to this."