587 area code: Scam?

[Tony]

What were they after? I mean, if you weren't in Merritt, then you couldn't have been in an accident, and if was a serious accident (serious enough to involve the RCMP) they I think you'd know about it. Just calling someone and saying they were in an accident is odd - unless they wanted money or something.

[occasional thoughts]

All very interesting . . . I passed through Merritt on my way to Burnaby on the 27th to trade in my vehicle on a new car, at a reputable dealership, and passed back through Merritt the next day with my brand new car and brand new plates. The approach was, well, I guess you were in an accident (yesterday now, 1st) and I said I wasn't and they got a bit argumentative and said had I EVER been in Merritt which question I characterized as ridiculous and fairly quickly hung up -- slammed hung up. They phoned back a few mins. later but my son wouldn't put it through to me and they haven't bothered me today. All they had was my name and somehow my home landline phone no. I'm still mystified and a bit worried about what's going on out there. Thanks for all comments. I'm still concerned about that "press 1" advice; like someone else on here I thought it gave open long-distance privileges when you did that.

[FreeRights]

There's probably more to the story that you may not have been told by the caller. Either that, or it's a scam.

I'd contact ICBC and just give them a heads up.

[Partmanpartfish]

Someone has your personal information and is accusing you of being involved in an accident, and you're posting on a message board rather than contacting ICBC?

[vinnied]

What is the possibility someone who knows you got into an accident in Merrit and used your name instead of there own.
Also, what happened with your old plates? They are supposed to be turned into the insurance company. Maybe someone got a hold of them somehow

[kgcayenne]

Even if someone had the plates or plate number, how would they get the owner's (or former owner's) personal information? The RCMP could obtain it from ICBC, but I highly doubt that ICBC would give out a name & phone number to anyone else involved in an accident.

[Grandan]

In my case he had the correct name including the fact that he used Rob instead of Robert, and he called me on my usual phone no. although it is published. But I haven't been in an accident for years, let alone yesterday in Merritt. The caller seemed gruff and unsophisticated but definitely "Canadian" (no accents per se). Just before I hung up, he asked me if I'd ever been in Merritt when I told him I hadn't been there yesterday. Bizarre question. What a way to make a living, scamming people.

I answered an ad on a real estate listing (not MLS) and a gruff voice answered. I asked about the property and it's location. The address given in the ad did not match up with the info given in the ad. When I googled the Hwy address it came up with the address of a motel in a neaby town. So I asked about the property location, telling him how things did not quite match up and how I wasn't able to find the property on google street view.
His reponse, "you can do that!?"

[monroe]

Someone has your personal information and is accusing you of being involved in an accident, and you're posting on a message board rather than contacting ICBC?

My thoughts exactly. Youd think ICBC would be your next call.

... wonder what the "scammers" were hoping to scam?