BURST
Police are warning of a scam that resulted in a woman losing $60,000 after handing over her bank cards to who she believed was a bank courier.
In late May, a 68-year-old woman was contacted by phone by a man who claimed to work for her bank. The woman was told her bank cards had been compromised, that she would receive new cards shortly, and that a courier would come to pick up her old cards.
“A driver from a ride-share company then attended her residence, and she provided the cards to him,” according to Mission RCMP.
An hour later, the woman received another call from the fraudulent bank representative who said that “they had since determined that scammers had compromised all of her financial accounts, and recommended that she turn over all of her other debit and credit cards.”
A second courier through a ride-share company was sent to collect the remaining bank cards. During the phone calls, the fraudster was also able to convince the woman to share other personal information, including her PIN codes for the bank cards.
By the time the woman realized it was a scam, she checked her accounts and found that thousands of dollars had already been withdrawn.
Mission RCMP have since been able to speak with one of the ride-share drivers, who is co-operating with police, but haven’t yet been able to contact the other driver. Investigators have since learned that at least one of the drivers was sent to the parking lot of the Home Depot on Henning Drive in Burnaby, where a man with a face covering was waiting to meet the driver and retrieve the bank cards.
According to Cpl. Harrison Mohr, “even if criminal charges are laid, the chances of recovering the stolen funds are low.”
How can I avoid similar frauds and scams?
Verify the caller: Police are advising the public to be wary when receiving a call from someone purporting to be from their bank. Take steps to verify the authenticity of the caller, such as asking for their name or hanging up and calling the bank directly using a phone number listed on their bank cards or on the bank’s website.
Never give out your PIN codes over the phone: Police also say never to provide your PIN code or banking passwords to anyone over the phone. Banks may sometimes ask for a verification word to confirm your identity but they will never ask for your PIN code outright.
Report fraudulent callers: If you receive a call from a scammer but haven’t lost any money and haven’t given out personal information, note the phone number and report it to the Canadian AntiFraud Centre. The CAFC can be reached at 1-888-495-8501. Those who have lost money or have already shared personal details should contact their local police.