Durham police seek suspect after Port Perry woman, 86, bilked of savings

Police are looking for a man they believe defrauded an 86-year-old Port Perry woman.

A woman called police on July 10 to report that her mother had been tricked into handing over her savings to a stranger.  A man pretending to be a bank employee had called the woman earlier that day asking that she withdraw her savings so that he could inspect the bills.

The woman withdrew a large sum of money from her local bank in Port Perry and met the caller at a local drug store where she handed over the bills for inspection. She was told the cash would be returned.

Durham Regional Police are looking for a suspect.

Meantime they are warning people to avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime by following these tips:

• Do not give banking/personal information over the phone
• Attend your bank in person to ask questions
• Do not give money to someone unknown to you
• Do not purchase gift cards to pay taxes or fines
• Call someone you trust to help you if you are unsure

Anyone with new information about this investigation is asked to contact North Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2672. Anonymous information can be sent to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca. Tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.

More tips are available at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre