Bank investigator credit card scam reported in Kelowna and Central Okanagan area

RCMP have been advised of a new scam trend scam reaching into the digital world of online banking.

Referred to as the “Bank Investigator Scam” by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website, the fraudulent scam looks to attack victims by portraying themselves as representatives for financial institutions and using their pretended authority to retrieve sensitive information.

Typically, victims receive phone calls and are alerted to a fictitious charge made on their credit card.

To cancel the purchase, victims are asked to confirm their credit card number with the scammer and may also be requested to give full remote access to their computer to the operater.

“The scammer will then pretend to transfer the victim to an alleged investigator,” says RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the Kelowna Regional Detachment.

“The scam artist will not hang up and will remain on the open telephone line while the victim dials, then he/she represents themselves as the victim’s financial institution or re-directs them to yet another scam artist who extracts even more personal information.”

Although RCMP can’t confirm a successful scam attempt, they have alerted the public to the scam trend as a preemptive and precautionary measure.

Red flags to watch for when ensuring financial security:

• Calls to victims from these types of scammers tend to happen in the early morning when the victim is groggy and tired.

• Call display cannot be trusted as “Call-Spoofing” technology can mislead victims as to who is calling. Do not assume that phone numbers on call display are accurate.

• Never provide remote access to your computer systems to anyone at any time.

• Financial institutions will never request a fund transfer to an external account for security reasons, scammers may ask you to do so for “safety” reasons.