East region OPP warn of new banking scam

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning of an ongoing fraud popping up across Eastern Ontario. 

This scam involves a fraudster contacting a victim by phone and claiming to be a banking employee, and use call-spoofing to make it look like the call is generated by a bank.

Police say the person identifies the victim by name and tells them their bank information or credit card has been compromised. 

The fraudster then requests personal information, including pin number and passwords, and advises the victim to leave their debit card and credit card in an envelope outside by the front door so it can be picked up and destroyed. 

There have been confirmed cases where a fraudster has attended a victim's residence to retrieve the cards.

Police say these types of calls tend to happen early in the morning when a victim is sleeping or not fully alert yet, and the public is reminded to never provide banking passwords or information over the phone. 

If you receive an incoming call from someone claiming to be from your bank, advise them that you will call back and call the number on the back of your card. You can also attend the bank in person to verify the call. 

If you or someone you know may have been the victim of a fraud, you can report it to the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. You can also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.