CALGARY, ALBERTA (April 17, 2014) The RCMP has informed AltaLink of a fraud investigation involving individuals who impersonated AltaLink employees with the intent of obtaining money from a landowner.
According to the RCMP, a landowner in the Kathyrn area was approached in early March by two individuals claiming to be AltaLink employees. These individuals requested a financial contribution from the landowner as part of transmission project activities on their land. The landowner provided the individuals with a cheque, which has since been cashed.
“We are deeply concerned individuals passed themselves off as our employees and that a member of the public was impacted by their activities,” said Leigh Clarke, senior vice president, External Engagement. “We work hard to develop trust with landowners and ensure they themselves receive fair compensation for the use of their land, so this incident is particularly disturbing.”
“We want to ensure landowners understand under no circumstances would an AltaLink employee or contractor request financial payment from them,” added Clarke. “We will be contacting the landowner who was approached by these individuals to learn more about the incident and provide assistance while the investigation continues.”
AltaLink is cooperating with the RCMP in their investigation and cannot provide any further information at this time. If you have been approached by individuals claiming to be AltaLink employees and asked to provide them with money, please contact your local RCMP detachment.
All AltaLink employees and representatives carry personal identification with them and are expected to present it when engaging landowners. If you are approached by an AltaLink representative and have concerns or wish to confirm an employee’s credentials, we encourage you to contact us using our toll free number – 1-877-267-1453.
For more information please contact:
Peter Brodsky
Manager, External Communications
AltaLink
Phone: 403.267.2110
Cell: 403.852.0021
E-mail: peter.brodsky@altalink.ca