submitted by Parkland RCMP
RCMP would like to notify the public of a recent surge in scams involving individuals claiming to work for Amazon.com. Parkland RCMP has received multiple files within the last week involving the following scenario:
A person claiming to be an employee of Amazon calls the victim. The “Amazon employee” states they are attempting to verify a new account in the customer’s name. Upon being advised that it is a fraudulent account, the “Amazon employee” will offer a refund. They instruct the victim to download an app in order to conduct the refund, and complete a form which includes the victim’s bank account number. The money then appears to be “refunded” to the account in excess of the stated amount. The “Amazon employee” then instructs the recipient on how to return the money, either via bitcoin deposits or allowing remote access to their accounts through the previously downloaded app. The “refund” subsequently disappears, along with additional funds.
Police are reminding the public not to provide banking information over the phone. If uncertain about any banking activity, call your bank directly. If you have been involved in one of these scams, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center by calling 1-888-495-8501 or online at Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca)
