Local Senior Loses $10,000 After Bank Manager Scam

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Friday, 28 June 2019 at 11:14

The caller said a teller had stolen money from their accounts, and needed the senior's help by taking out a large amount of money to catch the thief. OPP are warning everyone that this is a scam and to be extremely careful if you receive this type of call.

NORFOLK COUNTY - The Norfolk County OPP are reminding the public after an unknown woman contacted a senior their looking for their help to catch a bank teller that was stealing funds.

According to the police report a local resident received a call from an unknown woman, who claimed to be a banking manager from their financial institution. The caller said a teller had stolen money from their accounts, and needed their help by taking out a large amount to catch the thief.

The victim was told after the funds were withdrawn they were to buy Google play cards from various stores throughout Norfolk County. The unknown suspect then contacted the victim, providing them with activation codes from the back of the cards.

The suspect then tried to take more money however hung up the phone after they were told that the police were being called. The OPP are warning everyone that this is a scam and to be extremely vigilant if you should receive this type of call.

Constable Ed Sanchuk says there are ways to prevent this situation from recurring.

"The painful irony of this scam is that it is an honest individual's desire to help catch a criminal that ends up turning that person into a victim. Luckily there are a few simple precautions that individuals can take to ensure they don't fall prey to this type of fraud."

The purpose of this scam is to defraud you of your money. The person on the telephone sounds genuine and the actual calls can sometimes last hours, however you can be certain he/she is not a real bank employee.

First, it is important to remember that neither your bank nor a police investigator will ever request that you assist in an undercover investigation or ask you to withdraw money from your account. If you receive such a suspicious call, hang up and call police.

Never give out personal bank information over the phone unless you have called your bank and they ask questions to verify your identity.

If you do need to withdraw a large sum of money for a legitimate purpose, request a bank draft or a money order as this ensures only the intended recipient is able to access the money. Criminals will not accept these forms of payment because it creates a paper trail that can be used by real investigators to track the fraudsters.

Also, Check your bank statement frequently and report any irregularities to your bank as soon as you notice them.

Remember: If you have received this type of telephone call, a serious criminal offence of attempt fraud has been committed. By reporting this attempt fraud to your bank and local police, other people in your community will be notified and protected.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.helpsolvecrime.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.00.