An elaborate scheme, involving a fake RCMP officer, has cost a Kelowna resident almost $5,000.
The incident began to unfold on June 26 after the resident received an alert text message from a popular online retailer alleging they had several open accounts currently being investigated for fraud.
The resident was directed to contact the retailer by phone and when they did a security agent for the same company answered. The victim was instructed to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Unit to resolve the issue and was automatically transferred to another individual over the phone posing as an employee with the anti-fraud unit.
In order to resolve the issue, the victim was directed to immediately withdraw $4,800 in cash and deposit it into a “verification machine” which also happened to be a Bitcoin terminal.
This made the victim suspicious, causing them to tell the supposed employee of the anti-fraud unit that they would be calling police.
The alleged employee hung up.
Then the victim received a phone call from the Kelowna RCMP’s non-emergency number at 250-762-3300 where an individual posing as a police officer provided a false name and badge number.
This fake officer convinced the victim to make the deposit adding there was a warrant for their arrest and this was the only recourse to avoid being arrested.
After making the deposit the victim checked in with RCMP, who confirmed this was a fraud and there was no such officer by that name, explained Cpl. Michael Gauthier with the Kelowna detachment.
The money was gone.
“Fraud is one of our Crime Severity Index (CSI) drivers and it’s our responsibility to educate and help our community recognize the signs,” said Cpl. Gauthier. “Anyone being directed to withdraw and deposit money into a Bitcoin terminal, purchase iTunes gift cards or any other similar type of currency, should immediately assume this is a fraud and contact the RCMP themselves to verify.”
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