Toronto-area seniors are being targeted by fraudsters, York Regional Police warned in a press release Thursday.
Police have noticed an increase in reports of a scheme in which someone calls the senior claiming to be a manager at their bank. The person on the phone says there has been unusual activity on the victim's account, and asks him or her to come in to the branch and withdraw money.
The fraudster then instructs the victim to meet him or her in a nearby parking lot, where he will collect the money and discuss the victim's bank account status.
Similarly, some seniors have reported receiving phone calls from a person claiming to be a bank inspector or investigator. The suspect will tell the caller they think an employee at the victim's bank is stealing from customers, and will ask the victim for their help to catch the thief.
The victim is asked to come into the bank and withdraw money, then hand it to the "inspector." Once the money is handed over, the "inspector" will likely never be seen again, police said.
Scams may vary, but police warned the end goal is to defraud victims of their money. Though suspects usually sound genuine, any calls requesting the withdrawal of money should be suspected as fraud.
No police agencies or banking officials will ever ask for such information over the phone.
The public should never give out personal or financial information over the phone, at the door or online unless certain to whom the information is being provided, Const. Laura Nicolle advised, encouraging anyone in doubt to contact the bank or police.
If you've been a victim of a similar incident, contact the York Regional Police Major Fraud Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6612.
