Northern Health warns of scam calls impersonating organization

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Northern Health is warning residents of a scam where fraudsters impersonate members of the organization over the phone, offering the people they call a free prize.

In a post to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, March 14th, the health authority claims it’s received reports of several individuals receiving calls claiming they’ve won a prize, such as “a fire safety basket or a free home safety inspection.”

“Northern Health would like to clarify that these calls are in no way affiliated with the health authority,” the post reads. “The callers may be representing a company with ‘Northern Health’ as part of its business name.”

This isn’t the first time scammers have impersonated Northern Health; the health authority warned residents of a similar series of incidents last year in early April.

Anyone who receives an email or phone call claiming to be affiliated with Northern Health is urged to carefully check whether it’s legitimate before sharing any personal details or money.

“When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to confirm anything using Northern Health or its facilities’ names are legitimate initiatives,” the post continues.

Anyone who has been a victim of fraud or a scam can report it to the Fort St. John RCMP detachment or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.