submitted by St. Albert RCMP
St. Albert RCMP are warning the public about a fraud scam that saw a local citizen lose over $49,000. The St. Albert resident received a phone call from an individual stating they were from Microsoft. The individual proceed to explain that their computer had been hacked and all their banking information had been compromised.
The fraudster then transferred the citizen to the “Fraud Department” of their banking institute, which was not the case. A fraudulent individual posing as a bank representative with their banking institute convinced the person to set up a new “dummy” bank account to protect their money. The fraudulent bank agent assisted in creating the new bank account with an overseas banking company and the St. Albert resident sent $49,800 to the fraudsters believing it would protect their money from being stolen.
The resident realized that something was not right and went in person to their bank branch and spoke with a real bank employee, discovering the fraudulent scam.
St. Albert RCMP want to remind the public that fraud can happen to anyone. These fraudulent individuals are professional criminals, their scams are elaborate and they are very convincing on the phone. The best practice, if you believe your personal/banking information has been compromised, is to attend your Financial Institute in person and discuss the matter with an employee.
In 2018, there were 11,000 reports of fraud within RCMP jurisdiction in Alberta. Impersonation and identity-related incidents accounted for 14% of all reported frauds for the year. If you believe you’ve been the victim of a fraud or scam, please report this to your local police service and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Anyone who has information on any crime is asked to contact the St. Albert RCMP Detachment at 780-458-7700 or their local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play.
