The “bank investigator” scam appears to have made its way to Canmore.
RCMP say a man contacted woman in her 70s on March 4th posing as a fraud investigator with a local financial institution.
He had some of the woman’s personal information, including financial details, and convinced her he was conducting an investigation on a bank employee who was suspected of stealing money.
The man then instructed the woman to go to the bank and withdraw a substantial amount of cash – just under $5,000 – from her account, and not to touch the money herself but have the bank employee under investigation place the bills directly into an envelope and hand her the package.
After the woman left the bank, she was approached by the man who identified him as the fraud investigator. The woman turned the money over to the man, who said he would be in contact with her later. But after not hearing from him, the woman called police.
Sgt. Ryan Currie with the Canmore RCMP says he’s unsure why the woman was given those specific instructions, but added similar incidents have been reported in Ontario and Manitoba, mostly targeting seniors. In most cases, the fraudster has the victim’s personal information, including bank account numbers and transaction history.
“He didn’t have any identification at all. What he did have was details, he knew about where she banked, it was interesting how much information he had on her,” Currie said, although it’s not clear how he was able to obtain those personal details about the woman.
Police describe the man as Caucasian, about 50 to 60 years old, five-foot-10, and balding with light grey-brown hair on the sides. He was dressed very casually with khaki pants and a cotton shirt. It’s not believed he is a resident of Canmore.
So far, this is the only reported case in Canmore, but Currie urges anyone who has fallen victim to this scam to come forward.
