(PERTH COUNTY, ON) The Bank Investigator Scam has again targeted vulnerable and trusting seniors in Perth County. After a Listowel senior was successfully defrauded of $4,900 in September of 2013, local bank employees have been aware of the warning signs which may indicate a customer is being defrauded.
(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) On Tuesday afternoon February 25, 2014, The Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers in LIstowel responded to a call at a Listowel Bank where bank staff suspected a client being scammed.
An 84 year old female client of the bank attempted to withdraw $4,000 cash. The teller became suspicious and gently asked the client about the withdrawal. The client revealed that she had just received a call from an unknown male who identified himself as a “bank inspectorâ€. The male who sounded very professional advised the client that she needed to withdraw $4,000 from her account in order to assist with a “fraud sting†conducted at her bank. The client was instructed to withdraw the cash and walk back to her residence following a specific route. She would be approached by a man named “Mr. Baker†to whom she was to hand over the money. She was assured that it would be returned to her as soon as they discovered who was stealing money at her bank. Officers attended the bank and initiated an investigation into this incident.
(MUNICIPALITY OF WEST PERTH, ON) On Tuesday morning February 25, 2014, an 86 year old female Municipality of West Perth resident received a telephone call from a male who said he was an auditor at her Mitchell bank. The auditor advised her that there was a problem with a deposit of $165 that should have been deposited in her account in January. The resident checked her account and did not find a record of this deposit nor was she expecting any deposits. Half an hour later the male called back stating that he required the resident’s assistance in catching a bank employee who was suspected of stealing money. He asked her to withdraw $3,900 cash from her account which she was to place in an envelope. She would then meet a “Mr. Jordan†on Ontario Road in Mitchell and hand over the envelope. She would later meet with the auditor and receive her money back. Since this was an under-cover operation and a bank teller might be involved she needed to keep this transaction confidential.
The resident ended up speaking to her bank manager and it was immediately determined to be a scam. The Perth County OPP was contacted and an investigation was started.
In both of these instances no financial loss was incurred, however it goes to show that the “Bank Investigator scam†is back again. The public is reminded that banks do not ask you to help with these investigations and if there is an investigation it will be handled by the police.