Calgary police warn public about new courier service bank card scam

Police are warning Calgarians of a recent scam that has already affected several people, totaling a combined loss of nearly $60,000.

People are targeted for access to their debit cards, according to police. 

Investigators say scammers call pretending to be an employee from the person’s bank or financial institution, convincing them that their debit card has been compromised. Scammers call from numbers that appear to come from a bank, though they don’t come from any bank or institution.

The scammer offers to send a courier to pick up the old card on behalf of the bank, and promises to fix the issue, with a new card arriving in the next few days.

After an address is provided, someone collects the card at their house and asks for a PIN number. The scammer then uses their card to take out large amounts of money or makes purchases with the card.

Police said in the media release that anyone who gets this kind of call should not interact with the scammers and hang up, saying people shouldn’t allow anyone to send a courier to pick up their bank card.

Acting Staff Sgt. Simon Ross of the Calgary Police Service Economic Crimes Unit said in the media release that thanks to other law enforcement agencies, they know this scam is happening in several areas across the country.

“These calls can seem very real to the unsuspecting victims, so we are taking this opportunity to warn Calgarians that this is not a typical bank process and to have a heightened sense of awareness when answering calls from banks and financial institutions as someone may be impersonating an employee,” he said.

Victims of fraud who have suffered a financial loss or had their personal information compromised can report it to Calgary police by contacting the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or submitting tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, http://www.calgarycrimestoppers.org/ or through the P3 Tips app.

People who have received a fraudulent text message, email or phone call but have not sustained a financial loss can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Anyone concerned about their financial accounts being compromised can phone their bank with a verified number, through their secure app or visit them in-person.