Laval police investigators are attempting to contact possible victims of a 20-year-old individual who posed as a false representative of a financial institution and was just arrested.
Gawendy Desgranges-Compere was part of a well-oiled plan to recover bank cards.
A first suspect usually contacted a victim by telephone and posed as a false representative. He claimed the victim was the target of a card fraud scheme. He then asked them to put their cards in an envelope and write the PIN on the back.
“He then mentioned that a representative would collect their cards from their home. Once recovered, the cards were used for business fraud,” Laval police said in a news release Friday.
Gawendy Desgranges-Compere is charged with fraud over $5,000, credit card theft and identity theft.
He will remain in custody following his appearance at the Laval courthouse before returning to court on January 9th.
Anyone with information about this type of fraud can communicate confidentially through the Info Police Hotline at 450 662-INFO (4636) or call 911 and reference file LVL-230809-040.
Security tips to avoid this type of scam
• Never give out personal information to strangers, including your bank or credit card numbers.
• No financial or government institution will ask you for personal information directly via email, phone or SMS. If in doubt, please contact your institution yourself using the official telephone numbers.
• No institution requires paying overdue invoices with gift cards or cryptocurrency.
• Be vigilant when shopping in stores during the holiday season and avoid leaving your purses and handbags lying around.
• Please note that financial institutions never send a representative to collect bank cards.
• It is possible to check with TransUnion and Equifax whether credit inquiries or account openings were made without your consent.