B.C. senior loses $23K in bank card scam

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An elderly woman in North Vancouver who fell victim to a bank card scam saw $23,000 in fraudulent charges racked up on her accounts earlier this month, according to authorities.

The woman received a call from someone posing as an employee of a financial institution on May 15, the North Vancouver RCMP said in a news release.

“The caller advised the elderly woman that fraudulent purchases had been noted on her chequing account and her card chips must be checked,” the statement from Mounties said.

“Shortly after, a male who claimed to be from her bank attended her residence to collect her bank cards. Unbeknownst to the elderly woman, she just handed her bank cards to a fraudster.”

The same scam has been reported in other jurisdictions on the Lower Mainland, prompting warnings from police in Abbotsford and Richmond.

Thursday’s warning from the North Vancouver RCMP said investigators believe the suspects may be travelling through the region and could be responsible for eight reported cases.

“We continue to repeat our warnings, but we don’t mind being a broken record. We need would-be targets to know how to recognize these scams,” said North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mansoor Sahak.

“We also need friends, family, neighbours, anyone who interacts with the elderly or those who are new to Canada to tell them about these scams, how to recognize them, and what to do if they are contacted by a scammer.”

More information on scams and how to guard against them is available online.