ARTICLES

The Medicine Hat Police Service is currently at the scene of a motor vehicle collision at the eastbound lane of the Trans Canada Highway at 7 Street SW.  The eastboound lane of the Trans Canada Highway is currently down to 1 lane.  There will be traffic delays, so please avoid the area while the investigation continues. 

March is Fraud Prevention Month (FPM) in Canada. Throughout the month the MHPS Community Safety Unit has been sharing tips on how to recognize, reject and report common frauds and scams. The final week of FPM will focus on mass marketing and phone scams.

Mass marketing and phone scams are one of the most common types of frauds and involve attempts to obtain personal information or be provided money. The difficulty with these types of frauds is that the targets are often tricked into believing they are dealing with a legitimate company, or someone trusted. The fraudsters can be very convincing and work hard to manipulate the people they call.

Whether is it by phone or by email, if you cannot verify the identity of the person/company that you are dealing with, end the conversation and contact the business directly to confirm. Often fraudsters will use phone numbers that a “spoofed”, or copied, to look legitimate or emails that look real but are not. A company will usually use its own name in the email address as a contact such as blank@nestle.ca as opposed to an email ending in Gmail, Hotmail or yahoo. These are easy things to confirm when you contact the businesses directly yourself.

One type of common phone scam is an emergency scam where a fraudster will contact a person posing as their relative. The individual will sound scared and quiet and call the person on the other line by their name or title such as “Grandma” or “Grandpa”, and when the person on the other line calls them by the name of their grandchild they will make up a story that they have been arrested for some sort of crime and are being held in jail and need money. They will often request for the money to be wired to a certain place, often out of province and say that the money is going to a lawyer and they cannot tell their parents. Remember to always check with your family members before transferring money.

Another common fraud is where someone is contacted by phone or email advising that they won a large sum of money or prize or requesting a small amount of money in return for a large investment. The fraudster then requests the person to simply send a small amount of money or gift card numbers to the fraudster in order to claim their prize. If you did not apply to win something, you will not win! Trust you gut and if it appears to good to be true, it likely is. You should never need to pay something in order to get a prize you have legitimately won.

With various types of frauds, the fraudsters will request that an email transfer of money be completed. The targeted person may believe that because they have an email, it must be legitimate. Frequently, once the money is sent by email, it is going to a bank account out of country and the chances of getting it back or identifying a suspect are very low. Once again, be very cautious about responding to these types of requests and never email money to someone if you cannot verify their identity.

Best advice is to always remain vigilant and skeptical. Never provide personal or financial information unless you are able confirm the request is legitimate. A professional will have no problem answering your questions and showing credentials and references to prove they are who they are.

For more information on common frauds or scams and for information on how to protect yourself visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

Media Contact:

Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

On March 27 at, 2022 at approximately 06:30AM, police and fire responded to a detached garage fire in Ross Haven Court SE. Police and fire are processing the scene at this time to determine the cause of the fire and at this time it is being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information is asked to call 403-529-8481 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Information can also be reported by using the Medicine Hat Crime Stoppers Mobile app. The mobile app allows users to submit up to 60 seconds of video, send photos, and directly call or text tip information to Crime Stoppers. As with all Crime Stoppers information, to protect the identity of the individuals providing tips, no personal information is ever collected.

On March 22, 2022, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service executed a search warrant at a residence located in the 500 block of 4th Street Southwest, which resulted in officers locating and seizing the following items: 4.5 ounces of cocaine, 250 ml of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and a loaded 12-gauge shotgun.

Resulting from this investigation, Luc Reaume, a 41-year-old male from Medicine Hat, was arrested and charged with the following offences;

• Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking
• Possession of GHB for the Purpose of Trafficking
• Careless Storage of a Firearm
• Possession of a Firearm without holding a valid license

Reaume was held for a Judicial Interim Release hearing where he was subsequently released and scheduled to appear in Medicine Hat Provincial Court on April 21, 2022.

Media Contact:

Insp Joe West
Operational Services Division
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8414

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada and throughout the month the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Safety Unit is sharing information to help residents to recognize, reject and report common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on business and service scams.

Service scams make up most of the face-to-face frauds reported to the Medicine Hat Police Service. Service scams can include home renovation scams by unlicensed contractors, as well as door-to-door fundraising scams which will often target seniors.

With spring in the air, homeowners will often begin thinking about completing renovations planned for over the long winter months. Before engaging a potential contractor, it is very important to ask questions ahead of time and request the names of past clients as references to confirm the quality of their work. Professional contractors will have no issues with providing you with this information and photos of their previous work. Always be wary of contractors who request payment in full prior to beginning any work.

Be cautious with new contractors or service companies who do not have ties to your community, and show up unsolicited, going door-to-door offering services such as; gutter cleaning, eavestrough repair/replacement, siding, and fascia repairs. Often, once they secure a down payment or total payment for a project in advance they will often leave the community and effectively close their fake business and the homeowner will be out the money paid. Once you have paid, it becomes a civil court matter for you to fight to have your work completed.

Always be extremely cautious when hiring someone from an online resource such as Craig’s list, Kijiji, or a Facebook group. Often, these “businesses” will operate on a buyer beware policy and will offer no reimbursement if the deal falls through. Never pay upfront over the internet for services to be completed. These online communities can be an excellent place to locate a potential service provider but always meet with the contractor in person and go through the proper steps to verify their credentials before hiring them to complete any work.

If someone comes to your door, claiming to represent a company or community organization, always ask to see his or her identification badge or supporting documentation before donating funds. Licensed businesses that plan door-to-door sales will be issued photo identification by the City of Medicine Hat. If they cannot produce ID, there is a good chance that it is a scam. Even if they have an ID badge, but something still does not feel right, do not allow yourself to be pressured into donating money and contact the Medicine Hat Police Service at 403-529-8481 or the City’s Business License Department at 403-525-8820 to report the suspicious behavior.

As a general rule, when it comes to your money it is always good to be skeptical!

To learn more about common frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website at www.antifraudcentre.ca.

Media Contact:

Sgt Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

On March 19th a member of the Medicine Hat Police Service conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that did not have functioning brake lights. While rolling to a stop, the officer observed the occupants appearing to hide something under the seat of the car. The officer spoke to the driver who was breaching a condition of release on previous charges. The male was arrested, and a search of the vehicle resulted the officer locating a loaded, sawed off .22 semi-auto rifle along with a bag containing a mask, kerchief, and a spring-loaded police style baton.

Resulting from this investigation, Tyler Figley (38-years-old) and Ashley Gackle (44-years-old) both from Medicine Hat, have been charged with several offences including possession of a prohibited weapon.

This investigation is an example of the danger officers face frequently when conducting traffic stops.

Media Contact:

Insp Joe West
Operational Services Division
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8412

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada. Throughout the month the MHPS Community Safety Unit will be sharing tips on how to recognize, reject and report common frauds and scams. This week’s focus is on cybercrimes and online scams.

Cybercrime makes up a large component of all frauds and scams reported each year and can include any type of fraud or scam that is committed over the Internet. This can include romance, online investment, marketplace, employment, loan, ticket sale, or phishing scams.

With our increased reliance on Internet-related technology, especially during the pandemic, fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to scam trusting individuals. Police have observed an increase in “data breach” information use by criminals where they are able to obtain personal information which can lead to identity theft and misuse of credit card and banking information. These “data breaches” can unfortunately occur to any business who stores customer information electronically, including loan companies, online gaming systems and online sales/delivery services. If you receive notification from a trusted source, such as your bank or telecommunications service provider, advising that you may have been subject to a “data breach”, it is suggested that you immediately change all passwords and ensure that they are strong passwords (using different characters, numbers, and letters in no particular sequence). As a general safeguard, it is always good to cycle or change your passwords multiple times a year.

Each year, especially around tax return time, the number of complaints received from people reporting a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam will increase.

In most cases, the target will receive a call that will be displayed as a local phone number. Upon answering the call, the target will hear an automated message where the caller will identify themselves as being from the CRA. The automated voice will accuse the person of owing money and will also make threats to have the person arrested and charged. The automated recording will then direct the person to “press 1 to speak to an agent”. If the person presses 1, a person representing themselves as an agent of the CRA will begin asking questions that will ultimately lead to the scammer attempting to obtain personal information such as their SIN or credit card information. They may also request the person to purchase iTunes/Google Play gift cards or other types of gift cards to pay off their debt and instruct them to call back with the card codes. The cards will then be used by the scammer to sell on the black market.

The MHPS suggests that anyone receiving one of these automated calls, immediately hang-up. The CRA DOES NOT use automated calling systems. They already have your Social Insurance Number on file. They will NEVER ask for payment in the form of gift cards.

Sometimes, this scam will vary slightly and the caller will identify themselves as a police officers and advise the victim that their SIN has been compromised and request that the victim confirm their number over the phone.

Another variation is when someone gets a call from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) advising that a parcel was seized at the border and a warrant was issued for your arrest. This is a scam in hopes that the person receiving the call wants to resolve the issue.

To protect against these common frauds, it is important to remain vigilant and NEVER provide personal or financial information over the phone. Likewise, never comply with an unsolicited phone caller who demands payment in gift cards. No legitimate business will do this.

Always remember:

• The CRA will never call and threaten to have you arrested for not paying your taxes or ask for payment in the form of gift cards or prepaid credit cards.
• The CBSA will not notify you of seized parcels and warrants for your arrests through an automated phone call.
• If you are contacted in any of these ways, always confirm with the actual business directly. Look up the phone number online and do not use the call back number that the caller has provided. Do not trust your call display. It may say Police or ABC but in reality, it is a scammer.

If your workplace sells gift cards, you can also help by being on the lookout for potential victims and inform them about this scam. Victims may seem stressed and agitated as they are purchasing a large amount of gift cards. It is recommended that clerks ask customer what the purchase is for and suggest they contact police before they make the purchase if the circumstances seem suspicious.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a similar scam and has lost money due to a fraud contact the MHPS at 403-529-8481 to report.

Due to the extremely high volume of fraudulent call attempts, if you have received a fraudulent call but are not a victim (meaning you have not shared your personal information, bank information, and have not lost money) then there is no need to report or contact police.

To keep yourself in the loop about Fraud Prevention Month activities occurring provincially, follow the hashtag #FPM2022 on social media or visit the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association website at https://www.albertacrimeprevention.com/fraud-prevention-month/#FPM2022

For more information about frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.

Media Contact:

Sgt Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

On March 13, 2022, at approximately 8:00 PM members of the Medicine Hat Police Service were called to a residence in Northwest Crescent Heights following a report of an utter threats complaint.  Additional patrol officers attended to the area and began increased patrols in the vicinity of the residence looking for a male.

While patrolling the area an officer observed a robbery in progress.  To avoid escalating the volatile situation, patrol officers remained out of sight but prepared to respond if required, until the male exited the liquor store. Once outside the store the male was confronted by police and safely taken into custody.  The male was found to be in possession of the stolen cash from the liquor store and was also in possession of a hunting knife.

The 21-year-old male who cannot be identified at this time remains in custody and is currently awaiting a judicial interim release hearing, facing charges of: Robbery, Disguise with Intent, Possess Weapon Dangerous to the Public, and Uttering Threats.

The clerk at the store did not receive any physical injuries because of this event but was offered support from the MHPS Victim Services Unit.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt Ryan Thorburn
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph; 403-529-8461

The Medicine Hat Police along with other emergency personnel are currently on the scene of a structure fire in the 200 block of Ross Glen Drive SE.  Please avoid the area if possible

On the morning of March 13^th at approximately 12:30 am members of the Medicine Hat Police Service along with other emergency personnel attended to the 500 block of Maple Avenue Southeast for a report of a motor vehicle collision.  The investigation uncovered that a single vehicle travelling northbound at a high rate of speed lost control, left the roadway and struck three residential homes.  As a result, a Medicine Hat male has been charged with Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle.  No serious injuries were sustained and the total estimated damages are about $100,000.