Although it may seem obvious, it’s not a good idea to drop hundreds of dollars and your bank cards in your mailbox after receiving a call from a purported bank representative, police reminded Monday.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) has once again launched a call for vigilance to Quebecers after learning of cases of fraud in La Tuque, Mauricie.
According to the provincial police, fraudsters go to their victims’ homes and pose as police officers or representatives of banking institutions. On site, they explain that they have discovered fraud on their victim’s bank account.
“To resolve his situation, the fraudster asks the person to withdraw as much money as possible from their account and place the bills in an envelope in their mailbox along with their debit or credit card, making sure to include their personal identification number (PIN),” the police explained, stating that the victims were told that someone would come later to pick up the envelope.
Obviously this is a scam. Under no circumstances will a banking institution go to one of its customers’ homes and demand that their bank account be emptied in order to resolve an alleged fraud.
The SQ was unable to provide any information on Monday about how many people may have fallen victim to the scheme or how much was stolen. However, this is the second time in a month that provincial police have warned La Tuque residents to beware of scammers.
Last year, three people were arrested in La Tuque for similar fraud.