A Victoria man is out $6,000 after being duped by scammers who claimed to be with a bank’s “fraud sting team.”
On Jan. 13, a man contacted the Victoria Police Department to report that he was a victim of a telephone scam that utilized gift cards. The man told police he received a call from a man and a woman who claimed they were members of his bank’s “fraud sting team,” and that his accounts were compromised.
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The man was then asked to take part in an “undercover operation” to catch the person who had compromised his accounts. He was then directed to purchase a number of $100 gift cards at various stores. He then provided the gift card information and PIN numbers over the phone to the scammers.
The victim was advised to attend his bank’s main branch to speak with an investigator to be reimbursed for his purchases.
According to police, this is a recent example of the deception used by telephone scammers. They remind the public to be aware of the tactics and to never give out personal financial information over the phone.
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Anyone receiving a similar scam call can contact the Anti-fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or online at bit.ly/37hRsfg.
Those who do give out personal financial information need to act quickly, police say. Begin by contacting your financial institution and ensure all authorized payments are stopped, then inform them of the fraud and change all passwords and access information. VicPD asks residents report this to their non-emergency line at 250-995-7654.
For more information on preventing fraud visit vicpd.ca/fraud.
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