Spot the Scam: Every day, people across Ottawa and Canada are falling victim to scams. This week, CTVNewsOttawa.ca will share their stories and advice on how to spot a scam. Ottawa Police Detective Shaun Wahbeh joined Patricia Boal on CTV News at Six to discuss three common scams in Ottawa and what viewers can do to spot them. Bank investigator scam According to Wahbeh, this scam typically involves someone pretending to be from your bank to get a hold of your financial information and access your accounts. “This one you get a phone call at home from what you believe is your bank because the call display is going to show your bank number, it’s going to match the back of your card,” Wahbeh explained. “They’re going to convince you that your accounts are compromised, that you have to give up your credit card and debit card. Somebody will come to your door cut them up, will pick them up and give you new ones.” Wahbeh says the average person loses about $60,000 to this type of scam. “It is completely fraud. Once you’ve given them your cards and your PIN they then go shopping and make withdrawals,” Wahbeh said. Wahbeh advises against ever giving out important information or handing over bank cards to individuals, even if they seem to have personal information on you. Any financial transactions or changes to your accounts should be made in-person at a bank, Wahbeh says. “Never give out the cards, never give out your PIN, never give out any personal information,” he said. “Even if they know some stuff, do not trust them. Go right to the bank.” Door-to-door scam Here, scammers will show up at an individual’s home and urge them to get important and expensive renovations on their houses. Police say this type of scam often targets seniors. “They’ll come door-to-door, tell you your chimney’s falling down, your foundation’s cracked, your driveway’s cracked,” Wahbeh said. “ They’re going to convince you that the work has to be done right away or your house is going to sink, and a lot of the times these elderly people panic.” In these cases, it’s very difficult to recoup the money you’ve lost, Wahbeh says. “Once they hook you in, unfortunately you’re taken. You do not recoup your money, they do not do good work.” Cryptocurrency scam Police say these scams often start with AI-generated online posts. Typically, victims will see a pop-up purporting to show celebrities or politicians encouraging viewers to follow a link and join an investment opportunity. However, the celebrity endorsement and the opportunity are all fake, and funds given to the supposed investments will disappear. “Once you click that link and you jump on those platforms you’re doomed,” Wahbeh said. “They have amazing, sophisticated platforms that it looks like you’re making money but it’s all fake.” According to Wahbeh, anything involving a bitcoin machine should be viewed as a red flag. “Nobody accepts bitcoin as payment. No government, no company. It’s too hard to convert,” Wahbeh said. “If you want to invest in crypto, go through your financial institution… do not hit a link do not fall for anything on the internet.” Lastly, Wahbeh says if you see an elderly person using a bitcoin machine, it is worth it to step in “If you’re in a store that has a bitcoin machine and you see an elderly person using it, please stop them because it’s going to be a fraud.”
