Submitted by RCMP Saskat-chewan's "F" Division Commercial Crime Sections.
The Bank Inspector Scam
RCMP Saskatchewan's "F" Division Commercial Crime Sections are advising members of the public to be aware of the scam commonly referred to as the "Bank Inspector scam."
In this particular scam, an individual receives a phone call from someone who claims to be a bank inspector (bank manager, police investigator, etc.) and who knows the individual's name. The caller explains that the financial institution is investigating a series of fraud cases that have been committed by staff at the individual's branch. They ask the individual to assist them by going to their financial institution and withdrawing a large sum of money. The caller goes on to explain that because the suspected criminal works at the branch in question, the individual should not tell the branch staff why they are withdrawing the money.
After the money is withdrawn the individual is instructed to meet the "investigator" at a pre-determined location. The money is exchanged and the individual is then instructed to return home and await an update confirming their money has been re-deposited into their original account. Unfortunately, no call is ever received, the money is not returned, and the individual never hears from the "investigator" again.
As a reminder to the public, financial institutions never ask their clients to help in resolving internal or criminal matters, nor to withdraw money from their account.
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call police. Never give out your personal or financial information over the phone unless you have called the financial institution directly and they ask questions to verify your identity. If you do need to withdraw a large sum of money for legitimate purposes, request a bank draft or money order as this ensures only the intended recipient is able to access the money.
Criminals will not accept these type of payments as it creates a paper trail that can be used by genuine investigators.
Emergency or Grandparent Scam
The "Emergency or Grandparent scam" involves receiving a phone call from a fraudster who pretends to be a niece, nephew or grandchild.
Fraudsters use various methods to gain credibility. They may start off the conversation by saying, "It's me, your favorite grandchild" to which the grandparent would guess the name. Or they may say, "Grandma? Do you know who this is?" They may also attempt to disguise their voices by crying.
The fraudster goes on to say they need money because they are experiencing some type of emergency, such as they have been involved in a motor vehicle collision or have been injured, they are travelling in or returning from a foreign country, or they have been arrested and need bail money. They request money be quickly sent to them via a commercial money wire transfer service.
Since July 2010, over $40,000 has been lost by Saskatchewan citizens to this particular scam and senior citizens are being specifically targeted. Police encourage all care providers, children or grandchildren to discuss this scam with older adults.
To protect yourself, be vigilant. Ask the caller for their full name as this will often discourage a fraudster to hang up. Don't panic and resist the pressure to "act now." Despite the fraudster's request not to tell anyone, request assistance from a family member or someone you can trust. Sending money via a commercial money transfer service has traditionally been used by fraudsters as once it is sent, tracking it is difficult for police and your money is not recoverable.
Fraud Awareness is part of a national crime prevention campaign to increase Canadians' awareness of and knowledge about different types of fraud in order to help citizens to not become fraud victims.
