The Yorkton Fire Protective Services is warning residents about a phone scam where callers pretend to be from the fire department and ask for donations or personal information. The department says it never makes unsolicited calls asking for money, and anyone who receives such a call should hang up right away.
Scammers are using caller ID spoofing to make the calls look like they come from a real fire department number. They may use the name of the local fire department and ask for money to support fake fundraisers, training, or equipment. These calls are not legitimate, and the fire department does not ask for credit card details or other personal information over the phone.
Fire departments in Yorkton and across Canada raise money through in-person events and public fundraisers, not by calling residents at home. This type of fraud is not new. Similar scams have been reported in other communities, including South Bruce, Ontario in April 2026, Vancouver, British Columbia in December 2023, and Calgary, Alberta in December 2018.
If you get a suspicious call, do not give out any information. Hang up and contact the fire department directly at 306-786-1795 to check if the request is real. You can also report the call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, even if you did not lose any money. Reporting helps protect others in the community.
