A 22-year-old man from Longueuil who posed as a police officer to defraud his victims by asking them for their bank card was arrested on Friday evening.
The suspect, against whom there are three complaints, was released with an agreement to appear at the Trois-Rivières courthouse on February 6, 2024, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a press release on Tuesday.
According to the procedure used, the man called his victims and pretended to be a police officer who was supposed to collect their cards on behalf of Desjardins because suspected fraud had been detected on their bank account.
The 22-year-old then went to the crime scene in a dark gray vehicle to collect his victims’ bank cards before driving off.
He was allegedly caught red-handed when the driver of the vehicle he was supposed to get into left the scene shortly before police arrived, leaving him behind.
The SQ asks the public to remain vigilant and avoid disclosing personal or banking details such as PIN. If a person has fallen victim to this scheme, they can contact the police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
“The cooperation of citizens, merchants and financial institutions is crucial in the fight against this scourge, which causes (mainly) senior citizens to lose thousands of dollars every day,” said the SQ, which recommends vigilance when making large purchases.