RCMP east of Edmonton are warning about a phone scam that targets seniors.
In a news release issued Wednesday, Strathcona County RCMP said the “dishonest teller” scam sees victims receive a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee of their bank. The culprit tells the victim that an employee is stealing from their bank account and the bank needs the account owner’s help to stop it.
The fraudster will then tell the victim the bank recovered the lost money, but the account owner needs to withdraw a large amount of cash and give it to someone posing as a security person or bank investigator.
The victim will be given a number of reasons why they must turn over the funds, claiming they need to check the serial numbers, do an audit or mark the currency and deposit it to see if the “dishonest teller” withdraws any of the money.
Two women have fallen victim to the scam – an 80-year-old and a 90-year-old – and have been defrauded of a total of $12,500, according to the RCMP.
RCMP said seniors are some of the most frequently targeted victims in scams and offered some tips to protect the vulnerable community:
- Do not give out financial or personal information over the phone or internet.
- Immediately call your bank manager or someone known to you at your bank to notify them if something is suspicious.
- A bank employee will never ask you to withdraw money and hand it over.
- Never give cash to someone you don’t know or are meeting for the first time.
- Banks will never request citizen assistance in undercover investigations or, even worse, ask citizens to withdraw money from their account.
- Be diligent in checking your bank statements and accounts, and report any questionable activity to your bank as soon as possible.
For more information on protecting yourself from scams, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or call them via 1-888-495-8501.