Scammer defrauds Regina victim of nearly $5K

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A Regina resident was defrauded of nearly $5,000 in a scam involving spoofed phone calls and a bitcoin machine.

According to the Regina Police Service (RPS), the victim first received a call from someone claiming to be with Canada Post, saying a package was being held for security reasons.

The victim then got two more calls from people claiming to represent the RPS and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to “confirm” details from the fake Canada Post call. RPS says its own phone number was spoofed to appear legitimate.

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After the calls, the victim was instructed to deposit cash into a bitcoin machine in south Regina. Following a second request for cash, the victim reported the incident to police.

RPS is reminding the public to stay vigilant. Banks, government agencies, and Canada Post will never ask you to withdraw money to resolve a problem. Officers advise never sharing personal information during unsolicited calls and never sending money to people you don’t know.

Anyone who believes they are being targeted by a scam should contact police immediately at 306-777-6500.

RPS did not say whether the victim recovered any of the money.