VICTORIA -- A senior citizen in Oak Bay has lost thousands of dollars after scammers impersonated RCMP officers and convinced the resident that their credit card had been compromised Monday.
According to Oak Bay police, the scammers called the senior and pretend to be RCMP officers. They then convinced the victim to purchase gift cards and provide information to assist in an investigation into the victim's compromised credit card.
Police say that the resident has been a victim of scams before, and it appears that the scammers targeted them again because of it. In total, the local senior lost $10,000.
Now, police are reminding the public that large institutions, like the RCMP, BC Hydro, Revenue Canada and local police will never call you to ask to purchase gift cards.
Additionally, police recommend that anyone who answers a call that they suspect may be fraudulent to hang up the phone immediately, as scammers usually attempt to gather personal information about potential victims as they speak.
"If you don't recognize the phone number on the call display, don't answer it," said Oak Bay police in a news release Tuesday. "If you do answer the call and they start asking you questions about financial issues or tell you your bank account has been compromised, or even your grandchild is in jail, immediately hang up. Do not continue to engage them in conversation."
Following a potentially fraudulent call, Oak Bay police recommend that people contact the institution that the scammers may have been trying to impersonate to ensure no information has been compromised.
Meanwhile, fraud attempts can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through their website online here.
