2 GTA residents speak out after losing thousands in scam involving suspects posing as bank employees

Criminals posing as bank employees to scam customers: Durham Regional Police

Durham Regional Police are warning about a new scam that involves criminals posing as bank employees claiming your accounts are in danger of being hacked.

Police say scammers would claim to be from a bank’s fraud department and inform victims that their cards are compromised. They would then direct victims to put their bank cards PIN number in an envelope and then have a courier come to their home to pick them up.

“I felt ashamed and embarrassed and also scared,” said Maralyn Smearage.

The Pickering resident said she got a call from someone claiming to be with her bank and the number on her phone appeared to be with her bank RBC.

The caller also knew several of her accounts and other personal information.

She was told her cards had been compromised and a bank employee would need to come to her home to pick up her cards to protect her accounts.

“He was going to put all my accounts on hold, and they would come to pick up my cards. They said someone named Simon would pick up my cards tomorrow,” said Smearage.

Once they had her cards, they stole $20,000.

“I was saving up for new hearing aids and to move but I guess that money is now going to have to pay this off,” said Smearage.

A Toronto woman, who CTV News has agreed to identify as Karen, also got caught in the same scam when a caller claimed to be with Scotiabank and had her address, email and account numbers.

“I feel sick to my stomach. I was bawling my eyes out,” she said.

Karen handed over her bank cards and PINs and was also scammed out of $20,000.

“I’m still in debt $20,000; that isn’t even my money that I didn’t spend. I’m not in a position to pay this back,” she said.

Both RBC and Scotiabank did not reverse the fraud charges, stating the victims willingly handed over their cards to the scammers.

Scam results in losses of more than $200K

Durham Police issued a warning after 41 reports of people getting caught in the scam with losses of more than $200,000.

“People are receiving phone calls that look like they are from the same number on the back of their card,” said Det. Brad Chapman, with the Durham Regional Police Financial Crimes Unit.

“The victims are instructed to put the cards in an envelope, and they are told that new cards will be sent out the next day.”

Police said their investigation found that the couriers picking up the cards are rideshare drivers who are not part of the scam.

Chapman said in most cases victims will not get their money back due to agreements clients have with their banks about safeguarding their personal information.

“In one case, an elderly couple lost $90,000 in the scam,” said Chapman.

To avoid this scam, never give your bank information or PIN to anyone and never hand over your bank or credit cards. If a caller claims to be from your bank hang up, and if you have concerns your accounts may have an issue, call the number on the back of your card.

A bank would also never ask you to keep secrets or help in a fraud investigation and while scammers tell you to cut up your cards, they can easily put them back together and they really only need the “chip” from your card to commit fraud.