VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Sunshine Coast resident loses more than $100,000 in police impersonation scam
RCMP say a Sechelt resident sent $108,000 after scammers spoofed a Vancouver Police Department number and posed as police and bank staff.
A Sechelt resident has lost more than $100,000 in a scam involving callers who impersonated Vancouver Police Department Chief Const. Steve Rai and a local bank representative, Sunshine Coast RCMP say.
Police said the victim received a call that appeared to come from VPD’s non-emergency number, but the number had been spoofed. The caller claimed VPD was investigating a Sunshine Coast financial institution.
A woman later contacted the victim through WhatsApp, posing as a bank representative, and instructed him to make email money transfers supposedly to test the bank’s transaction capabilities. RCMP say the victim sent $70,000 and then $38,000.
Police say they will never ask the public to transfer money or deposit cryptocurrency to assist an investigation. Banks will not request one-time passwords, two-factor authentication codes or online banking credentials by phone.
Anyone receiving a suspicious call should hang up and contact their bank or police through a publicly listed number. Those targeted by a similar scam should contact their bank and local police.