The RCMP is warning the public about a “elaborate” bank scam that led to a B.C. woman losing $60,000 after she gave her bank cards to an individual she believed to be a courier from her bank.
A man who claimed to be a representative at the woman’s bank called her on May 20 and told the woman her bank cards had been compromised, police said. The alleged representative said the bank would issue her new cards, and that a courier would come to her house to collect the old ones.
The woman handed over the cards to the driver of a rideshare company who arrived at her home. About an hour later the supposed bank representative called her again, saying that all her other financial accounts had been compromised as well, police said.
Another courier was sent to her house to collect her other debit and credit cards. The fraudulent representative also obtained personal information from the woman over the phone, including her banking PIN numbers.
Police say that shortly after, the woman realized that “it was all an elaborate scam,” but the scammers had already stolen tens of thousands of dollars from her bank accounts.
“Mission RCMP have since spoken with one of the rideshare drivers, who is cooperating with the investigation, but have not yet been able to locate the second rideshare driver,” the news release says.
Investigators determined that the woman’s bank cards had been taken to a Home Depot parking lot on Henning Drive in Burnaby, B.C., where a man wearing a face covering received the bank cards.
“The investigation is still ongoing, but police note that even if criminal charges are laid, the chances of recovering the stolen funds are low,” RCMP said in the release.
Anyone receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be from a financial institution should verify the authenticity of the call before providing any personal information or taking action, police said.
Police recommend asking for the caller’s name and identifying information, including what company they are calling from. Customers should call the institution from a “known-number,” or one that can be found on the company’s website, and ask to be connected to the person that had claimed to be from that company, the RCMP said.
Authorities advise against sharing banking PINs or passwords with anyone, noting that financial institutions will never request such information over the phone.
Individuals who have been targeted by a scammer but have not lost any money or disclosed any personal information should report the details of the scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the RCMP said. Those who have suffered financial losses or disclosed personal information prior to recognizing it as a scam should report the details to the local police.
