Fraud by fake representatives
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) warns the population about fraud by fake representatives, namely when fraudsters pose as employees of financial institutions.
The scheme used by fraudsters first involves calling a vulnerable senior and convincing them that a fraudulent transaction has been carried out on their credit card. The false representative stresses to the victim that urgent action needs to be taken to remedy the situation and asks them to provide their personal identification number (PIN). The fraudster then tells the victim to put their credit card in an envelope and a mailman will come and collect the envelope to return it to the financial institution. A uniformed accomplice then takes over and visits the victim’s home to collect the envelope and flee.
- Never trust what appears on your call display, as fraudsters use applications to enable them to write names of financial institutions;
- Never give personal information by phone;
- Remember that financial institutions never ask clients to hand over credit cards or disclose their personal identification number (PIN);
- Tell the person who is contacting you that you will call them back. In 99% of cases, fraudsters will hang up as they don't want to give a contact number;
- Never give in to pressure;
- Always consult a family member or a trusted friend to check the information received;
- If in doubt, don't hesitate to contact your financial institution - in person or via an official phone number - or your neighbourhood police station.
- Please note that letter carriers do not pick up mail from individuals, nor do they collect mail for financial institutions from their customers' homes.
To report fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center.
In an emergency, call 911
