OPP WARN PUBLIC ABOUT BANK MANAGER SCAM

(NORFOLK COUNTY, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk County Detachment want to alert the public after a senior at a Maple Street, Simcoe, Norfolk County, Ontario address was contacted by an unknown male seeking their help to catch a teller in the bank that was stealing funds.

On Monday, November 18, 2013 at approximately 10:00 a.m., a local resident received a call from an unknown male claiming to be a banking manager from a financial institution. The caller stated that a teller had stolen money from their accounts, and needed their help in catching the thief. The caller provided instructions to attend the bank and withdraw a large sum of money and have the money put into an envelope and to tell no one.

The funds were withdrawn and were turned over to the suspect at the Simcoe Town Centre Mall located on West Street, Simcoe, Ontario totalling $3,900 dollars. The suspect can be described as white male, between 20 to 30 years of age, 5’9 to 6’0 feet tall, slim build with dark straight hair wearing a dark baseball cap, dark jacket and dark pants. The male did not appear to be professional in appearance and was last observed walking through the mall.

The purpose of this scam is to defraud you of your money. The person on the telephone sounds genuine and actual calls can sometimes last hours however you can be certain he/she is not a real bank employee.

“The painful irony of this scam is that it is an honest individual’s desire to help catch a criminal that ends up turning that person into a victim. Luckily there are a few simple precautions that individuals can take to ensure they don’t fall prey to this type of fraud,” comments Constable Ed Sanchuk, Norfolk County OPP.

First, it is important to remember that neither your bank nor a police investigator will ever request that you assist in an undercover investigation or ask you to withdraw money from your account. If you receive such a suspicious call, hang up and call police.
Never give out personal bank information over the phone unless you have called your bank and they ask you questions to verify your identity.
If you do need to withdraw a large sum of money for a legitimate purpose, request a bank draft or a money order as this ensures only the intended recipient is able to access the money. Criminals will not accept these forms of payment because it creates a paper trail that can be used by real investigators to track the fraudsters.
Check your bank statement frequently and report any irregularities to your bank as soon as you notice them.

Remember: If you have received this type of telephone call, a serious criminal offence of attempt fraud has been committed. By reporting this attempt fraud to your bank and local police, other people in your community will be notified and protected.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1 – 888 – 310 – 1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1 – 800 – 222 – 8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.helpsolvecrime.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2000.

The investigation is continuing.

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