Hamilton,
12
January
2021
|
12:38
America/New_York

Bank Investigator Scam

NewsRelease-FraudAlert

The Hamilton Police Service is warning the community, especially vulnerable seniors to be aware of the "bank investigator scam". It has recently victimized residents of Hamilton.

Suspect(s) in this scam contact an individual by phone advising they are an investigator from a financial institution and that there is a problem with their account. They then state that it requires immediate action or they will incur further loss.

The victim is instructed to go to their financial institution and withdraw cash, then told to purchase large amounts of gift cards or place money into a virtual currency ATM.

They are further directed to provide the numbers on the back of the gift cards to the "bank investigator". Once the numbers are provided, the gift cards cannot be returned and the victim is at a financial loss.

Hamilton Police remind the public of the following:

  • Be alert when dealing with your financial matters
  • Always question urgent requests for money or gift cards
  • A financial institution will never ask you to pay for anything in gift cards or virtual currency
  • A financial institution will never use their clients in any internal investigation or quality control audit
  •  If you are in doubt, contact your financial institution from a number listed on a previous statement, never use the number provided by the caller

Hamilton Police would like to remind retailers of the following:

  • Continually look for signs someone is a potential victim
  • This includes the person being on their phone throughout the transaction
  • Set a dollar limit on the amount of gift cards that can be sold without manager approval
  • Ask the person why they are buying such a large amount of gifts cards
  • Notify the police immediately if you suspect the person could be the victim of a scam

If you have any information that you believe could assist Police with the investigation into this crime you are asked to contact Acting Detective Sergeant Rob Hardy by calling 905-546-3841.