Beware of ongoing phone scams in the Kootenay area
By Trail Champion
On Friday, July 19, a frontline Trail and Greater RCMP officer received a report that an elderly Fruitvale woman was the victim of a telephone scam, according to RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich.
“An unknown suspect called the elderly woman and said her that her son had been arrested and was in jail,” Wicentowich said. “The caller told the woman that she would have to send $2,500 in bail money to him electronically to free her son. The woman sent the money electronically then was contacted again asked to send another $2,500. The woman arranged for another $2,500 to be sent electronically.”
Wicentowich said the caller then told the woman that her son had been released and her money would be returned to her if she provided her banking information. The woman provided her banking information. A short time later her bank contacted her about her fraudulent account activity. All of her accounts were frozen by her bank. The woman alerted other financial institutions about the incident to prevent further harm.
The investigation continues.
This is a scam people fall victim to daily. The police will not ask you to send money to them electronically. Bail money is handled by Canadian court services and you will have to attend a courthouse or police station to turn over bail money. Once money is sent electronically, it is almost impossible to get it back,
Wicentowich said.
For more information on telephone frauds, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Website
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