North Vancouver RCMP warns of a caller posing as a sheriff's officer
North Vancouver RCMP had three reports in a week of a caller claiming to be from the Vancouver Sheriff's Office and threatening arrest over a missed court date. The name and number are fake.
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The North Vancouver RCMP is warning of a phone scam in which a caller poses as a peace officer and threatens arrest over a missed court appearance.
In a release on October 16, 2026, the RCMP said it received three reports between October 7 and October 14 of a caller claiming to be from the "Vancouver Sheriff's Office." The caller tells the person they missed a court appearance and may be arrested or held in contempt of court if they do not act immediately. In one case the caller demanded cash to settle the matter and threatened jail time to push the person to pay.
Investigators confirmed that neither the name nor the phone number the caller used is associated with the justice system, the RCMP said. No money was lost in the cases reported to police. The North Shore Local reported the warning the same day.
"Scammers use fear and the threat of legal consequences to pressure people into making decisions without taking the time to verify what's happening," Cst. Paul Reece of the North Vancouver RCMP said in the release. He said anyone who gets such a call should not rush to act or pay, and should contact the office directly on an official phone number to check.
The RCMP also advises people to hang up or say no, and never to give a caller they did not contact a name, address, birthdate, Social Insurance Number, or banking and credit card details. The North Shore Local summed up the release's advice this way: if you did not start the call, you do not know who you are talking to.
Anyone who has lost money to a scam should contact their local police. A scam attempt with no loss can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, online or by phone, the release says.
Questions this story answers
What is the fake sheriff scam in North Vancouver?
A caller claims to be from the 'Vancouver Sheriff's Office' and tells the person they missed a court appearance and may be arrested or held in contempt of court unless they act at once. The North Vancouver RCMP warned the public about it on October 16, 2026.
How many people reported the call?
The North Vancouver RCMP said it received three reports between October 7 and October 14, 2026. In one of them the caller demanded cash to settle the alleged matter and threatened jail time to pressure the person into paying.
Is the Vancouver Sheriff's Office caller real?
No. The RCMP said its investigators confirmed that neither the name nor the phone number the caller used is associated with the justice system. The North Shore Local reported the same finding from the RCMP's release on October 16, 2026.
Did anyone lose money?
The RCMP said no financial losses had been reported in the cases brought to police attention. It still asks anyone who was victimized to contact their local police, and anyone who was contacted but lost nothing to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
What should I do if I get a call like this?
Cst. Paul Reece of the North Vancouver RCMP said not to rush into acting or making a payment, and to contact the office directly using an official phone number to check the information. Police also say you can hang up or say no.
What information should I never give a caller?
The RCMP and The North Shore Local list a name, address, birthdate, Social Insurance Number, and banking and credit card details as information never to give out to a caller you did not contact yourself, because you do not know who you are talking to.
Where do I report a scam call where I lost no money?
The RCMP's release says to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, online through its website or by phone. If you lost money or were victimized, it says to contact your local police service. In North Vancouver that is the North Vancouver RCMP, the detachment that issued the warning on October 16, 2026.
When did the calls happen, and when did police warn the public?
The three reported calls came in between October 7 and October 14, 2026. The North Vancouver RCMP published its warning on October 16, 2026, and The North Shore Local reported it the same afternoon, quoting the release and Cst. Paul Reece.
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