RCMP
News release
Strathcona County RCMP warns residents of the “dishonest teller” scam that has been targeting seniors in the community.
The scam usually begins by a victim receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee or manager at their bank. The victim is led to believe a bank employee is stealing from their account and their assistance is needed to catch the culprit.
The victim is told the bank replaced the lost money and instructed to withdraw a large amount of cash and hand it over to someone posing as a security person or bank investigator. The fraudster will give a variety of explanations, 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.
Some of the most vulnerable people in our community are seniors. Fraudsters frequently target seniors in an attempt to scam them out of their money. An informed senior can see through these scams and protect themselves. Here are some tips to prevent being a victim of a financial scam:
. 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.
. A bank employee will never ask you to withdrawal 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 scams contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or toll free at 1-888-495-8501. If you believe you may be the victim of fraud or have given personal or financial information unwittingly, contact the Strathcona County RCMP Detachment at (780) 467-7741.