The Port Hope Police Service is warning residents to remain vigilant after two individuals fell victim to the same sophisticated fraud within the past 24 hours.
In both incidents, victims received telephone calls from individuals claiming to be employees of their financial institution. The suspects were able to provide personal information about the victims, which helped gain their trust and made the calls appear legitimate.
The suspects instructed the victims to cut up their bank cards before arranging for a courier to attend their homes and collect the cards. The victims later discovered unauthorized transactions had been made on their accounts, resulting in losses totaling thousands of dollars.
The Port Hope Police Service reminds the public that legitimate financial institutions will never ask customers to cut up their bank cards or send a courier to collect them.
Residents are encouraged to:
Never provide banking or personal information to unsolicited callers.
Hang up and contact your financial institution directly using the phone number on the back of your bank card or from the institution’s official website.
Be suspicious of anyone creating a sense of urgency or requesting your bank cards, PINs, passwords, or one-time security codes.
If you believe you have been targeted by a scam, contact your financial institution immediately and report the incident to your local police service.
Fraudsters continue to use increasingly sophisticated tactics to deceive victims. Taking a moment to verify who you are speaking with can help prevent significant financial loss.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the Port Hope Police Service at 905-885-8123 or report information anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
