Barrie Seniors lose $1,000 in courier-style credit card fraud

Credit cards are shown in this undated file image.

Police in Barrie are warning about an alleged courier-style fraud that targeted two elderly victims this past Thursday.

According to the Barrie Police Service, the victims were phoned by someone posing as a bank security employee who claimed that their credit cards had been compromised.

The caller then allegedly told the victims to package their credit cards in an envelope so that a courier can pick them up as part of an ‘investigation.’

Police say a male suspect showed up at their home to take the credit cards, and the seniors then lost nearly $1,000 in fraudulent transactions that followed through use of the credit cards.

The suspect is described by police as male, black, 20 to 30 years old and roughly six feet tall with a slim build. He was reportedly wearing an orange reflective vest, and it is believed that he was driving a small light grey vehicle.

Police say they are concerned that the victims were targeted because of their age and vulnerability, a growing fraud trend, and there might be more victims who have not come forward.

“The bank will never ask you for your PIN number. If your card has been compromised, your best course of action is to confirm with your bank by calling the number on the back of your card or attending your local branch,” stated Det.-Const. Kris Nicholson from the Barrie police Fraud Unit, in a news release. “Often, the banks will have you cut up and destroy your existing card and send you a new one in the mail. They will NEVER send a courier to your address and expect you to include your pin details inside the envelope.”

Residents are urged to make senior relatives or others who might be vulnerable to fraud aware of fraud tactics, such as unsolicited calls and attempts to steal banking information or credit cards.

Anyone with additional information about the courier fraud incident and anyone who believes they might have been targeted with a similar scam is asked to contact police and report it online with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.