Vancouver victims have lost $1.1M to bank card scam so far this year, police say

Victims in Vancouver have list over $1.1 million so far this year to a bank card scam that’s being reported across the country.

A bank card scam that has prompted warnings from police departments across the Lower Mainland has cost Vancouver victims alone more than $1.1 million so far this year, according to authorities.

The Vancouver Police Department posted about the scam on social media Thursday, describing the fraud and comparing the number of reports and losses recorded in the first six months of 2024 to the same period in 2025.

Fraudsters pose as employees of banks, contact targets by phone using spoofed numbers, “trick victims into believing their cards have been compromised” and persuade them to provide “personal information,” according to the VPD. The scammers then instruct people to cut up their card – leaving the chip intact – and wait for a courier to come pick it up.

“Financial institutions will NEVER ask for your PIN or send a courier to collect your card,” police said, in the post.

In 2024, the VPD received two reports of the scam between January and June, with total losses of $20,400. This year the department has received 50 reports, with combined losses totalling $1,157,221.

Earlier this week, Mission RCMP issued a warning about the scam after a woman was bilked out of $60,000. Last month, Mounties in North Vancouver reported a woman was conned out of $23,000.

Police in Abbotsford and Richmond have also issued warnings about the scam this year.

Anyone who has been a victim or target of the scam is urged to report it to their local police department.