Fake pharmacy phone scam targets seniors

Portage la Prairie pharmacists want to warn you about a potential scam making its way around the area.

Rhonda Kitchen, owner and pharmacist of Hill's Drug Store in Portage, says she has heard of two instances recently where someone has tried to take advantage of their customers over the phone.

She says both gentlemen received phone calls from someone claiming to be from their pharmacy, saying a prescription was ready for them. She says the person started fishing for information, saying they were updating their records. The person asked for their birth date, where they lived, while being vague about which pharmacy they were calling from. 

"In both instances, they were asked if they wanted it delivered or (if they would be) picking it up. When they told the gentleman phoning that it was a pick up, the conversation ended," says Kitchen. "Of course, the gentleman came to the pharmacy that he normally gets his prescriptions from, and we had no prescription for him."

She says, in another case, it was more obvious the person was looking for a payment, and this worries her.

"The second one asked for it to be delivered. The gentleman claiming to be from the pharmacy asked how they wanted to pay for it," says Kitchen. "It happened to be a customer who usually pays by cheque or cash. So, then that was where the conversation ended. My concern is, if the client had said that they wanted it on credit card. They would have been fishing for credit card information."

She says if you get a call like this, that you perceive to be a scam, hang up and call your pharmacy back. Kitchen says she wants to get this information out in hopes that fewer people will fall for this type of scam.

If you receive a similar call, please hang up, and contact the RCMP.