Police warn of new twist on bank investigator scam in Ottawa
Posted Jul 3, 2025 03:23:41 PM.
Last Updated Jul 3, 2025 03:26:29 PM.
Ottawa police say suspects have reinvented the bank investigator scam that includes a new twist, making it easier for people to fall victim to it.
Officials said the new variation of the scam sees suspects sending emails to victims claiming to be investigators with Ottawa Police Service. The emails fraudulently state that officers will come get the victim’s bank cards and often come from Gmail addresses.
One example is: cst.jordanblake.ops@gmail.com
The language in the email appears to be official, the press release notes. This scam is “sophisticated” and involves these suspects pretending to investigate the fraud. Other versions of this scam use a spoofed caller ID and claim that the victim’s accounts have been compromised.
Once trust is established with the victim, they hand over PINs and passwords and other sensitive banking information.
The fraudsters will then ask the victim to leave their bank card in a designated area for a “courier” to collect. Then the scammers rapidly withdraw funds or make large purchases.
To date, police say the scam has defrauded victims of about $400,000.
In May, police laid charges against two people in a fraud case that saw the accused pose as bank investigators. However, police are looking for two other men who they say are connected to the scam.
