Port Hope Police are warning residents to be on guard after two people were defrauded in the same sophisticated bank card scam within a 24-hour period.
Police say both victims received telephone calls from individuals claiming to represent their financial institution. Investigators say the callers were able to provide personal information about the victims, making the conversations appear legitimate and helping gain their trust.
According to police, the suspects instructed the victims to cut up their bank cards before arranging for a courier to attend their homes and collect them.
The victims later discovered unauthorized transactions had been made on their accounts, resulting in financial losses totalling thousands of dollars.
Port Hope Police remind residents that legitimate financial institutions will never ask customers to cut up their bank cards or send a courier to collect them.
Police encourage anyone who receives an unsolicited call requesting banking information to hang up immediately and contact their financial institution using the telephone number printed on the back of their bank card or listed on the institution’s official website.
Residents are also advised to be suspicious of callers creating a sense of urgency or requesting bank cards, PIN numbers, passwords or one-time security codes.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a similar scam should contact their financial institution immediately and report the incident to their local police service.
Police say fraudsters continue to use increasingly sophisticated tactics, making it more important than ever to verify who you are dealing with before providing personal or financial information.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
