Phone scammers cheated an Enderby senior out of $3,000 and now police are warning residents to be aware.
North Okanagan RCMP were alerted to the incident July 29 after an Enderby resident told police they got a call from a person claiming to be a bank manager.
The fraudster told the senior their bank account had been comprised and in order to restore security settings they had to log in their banking information.
The thief then convinced the Enderby resident to buy thousands of dollars in Google Play cards.
It wasn’t until after the call ended that the victim realized it was a scam.
“Sadly, scammers and fraudsters continue to target seniors in our community,” Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media relations officer Const. Chris Terleski said.
“We are encouraging anyone with elderly family members to discuss how to recognize a scam and what they can do to keep themselves safe and help prevent them from falling victim to these types of fraud.”
Tips to protect yourself and shut down a scam before it can happen
- If you didn’t make the call, you don’t know who you are talking to
- No matter who you think is calling, never give out personal information over the phone
- Never pay a debt by crypto-currencies such as bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards from retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, or others
- If someone contacts you allegedly from a company, hang up and contact the company yourself to verify the information
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