Be aware of scammers falsely claiming to be from the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division

It has been brought to our attention that members of the public have been receiving solicitation calls claiming to be from the Canadian Mental Health Association in British Columbia and asking for donations.

Whilst occasionally we do reach out to people in our donor database by phone, we do not make unsolicited calls asking for credit card details over the phone (or via email), nor will we ever press for over-the-phone payments.

If you receive an unsolicited phone call asking for donations and claiming to be from the Canadian Mental Health Association please exercise caution and do the following:

1. Request the following information from the caller:

• Their name and their job title
• The name of the CMHA branch
• The Canada Revenue Agency number
• The branch website address and phone number.

2. Contact CMHA BC’s fundraising department on fundraising@cmha.bc.ca or call your local CMHA branch (using the official publicly listed phone number) in British Columbia to confirm that the call has come from them.

For more information on how to recognise the warning signs of charity-related fraud and tips about donating wisely.

If you are interested in donating to our work, you can do so securely online at https://donate.cmha.bc.ca/covid19  or reach out to your local Canadian Mental Health Association branch in British Columbia