The healthcare provider, via social media, indicated it is aware of several instances of individuals receiving phone calls claiming they have won a prize from “Northern Health,” such as a fire safety basket or a free home safety inspection.
Northern Health stated that these calls are not affiliated with the health authority.
“In this case, it appears there's a company that has the phrase 'Northern Health' in its business name,” said Eryn Collins, Northern Health's regional director of public affairs and media relations. “They may be calls made as part of a marketing campaign or something similar. It's not really for us to determine whether any campaigns like that or the offers they're making are legitimate. But it's causing confusion for people who are receiving these calls and thinking they’ve been speaking with someone from the health authority.”
Collins reiterated that no one at Northern Health has made any calls related to a fire safety basket or free home safety inspections, and that such prizes or inspections have never been offered by Northern Health.
Northern Health advises anyone who receives a call similar to the ones described in the statement to carefully check the origin before providing any personal information.
The health authority also recommends that anyone in doubt contact Northern Health directly to confirm if anything using the authority’s name is legitimate.
Collins also told The Citizen that the health authority is no stranger to this issue, as last year, its name was used to promote free home inspections and fire safety kits.
In addition, over the years, Northern Health's name has been used in fundraising scams.
“Unfortunately, there have been instances in the past where individuals have misrepresented themselves as Northern Health or claimed to be on behalf of one of our facilities, such as a hospital in our region, then claimed to be fundraising or seeking donations,” Collins said. “We’ve been able to determine that these were not legitimate. We don’t call around looking for donations or fundraising purposes, so we’ve issued similar cautions in the past for people to be really careful.”
Scams claiming individuals have won prizes are often designed to gather personal information, such as home addresses or banking details, which are then sold online or used for the scammer's gain.
Free home inspection scams may also offer fraudulent services at inflated rates, often by fixing non-existent problems or even creating those problems themselves. One common example is scammers removing shingles during a fraudulent roof inspection to sell their services at a higher price.
Once payment is received, the work may never begin, and the phone number or business may disappear.
If you suspect you are the target of a scam, contact the RCMP non-emergency line at 250-561-3300.
Northern Health also advises everyone to follow the advice of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to protect themselves from potential scams and fraud.
