Nanaimo RCMP are warning the public about police impersonators and other schemes to bilk victims out of their money.
March is Fraud Prevention month when police ramp up public awareness about the ways and means of criminals out to pilfer money from their victims.
To avoid inadvertently handing over hard-earned money, police say vigilance is the most important tool in protecting oneself and staying informed and aware to stay safe.
Fraudsters have no scruples about who they claim to be to get what they want and can and do at times impersonate police officers, claiming the victim or their loved one has committed a crime and demand immediate payment for a fine or bail and threaten legal action if the victim doesn’t comply with the demand.
Con artists might also pose as bank or credit card company representatives, saying there's an issue with your account or asking you to confirm sensitive information. Banks will never ask for personal information via email, text message or over the phone, notes a Nanaimo RCMP press release.
Fraudsters frequently also impersonate government organizations, such as the Canada Revenue Agency, and claim the victim is eligible for a refund or benefit. Police again advise government agencies do not ask for personal information or payments or offer refunds through e-mail or text. People are asked to always confirm the communication through official channels.
Fraudsters even pretend to represent the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or other government services, claiming that, for a fee, they can help the victim recover money lost in previous scams. These are known as "recovery frauds" where scammers try to exploit the desperation of the victim who has already been defrauded. They attempt to gather details from the previous fraud to convince the victim they are legitimate when, in reality, it is more than likely the same group of culprits involved with the original fraud, but operating under new false identity.
Nanaimo RCMP recommends several precautions people should practice to protect themselves including verifying the identity of anyone claiming to be from law enforcement, then hang up and call the legitimate law enforcement agency for verification.
Anyone who receives a suspicious message are also recommended to contact financial institution directly to verify the legitimacy of the message.
The Nanaimo RMP has warned the public not to be fooled, scam artists will often provide the first four to six numbers of a debit or credit card, which is known as the bank identifier number – most cards with specific financial institutions begin with the same numbers – in an attempt to convince the victim that they are banking or credit card institution represents.
The agency noted that the government won’t send a refund via e-mail or text message.
Victims who have lost money through fraud or provided personal information to scam artists, should immediately contact Nanaimo RCMP’s non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and report it by visiting the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre’s website at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm or by calling at 1-888-495-8501.
