Saturday, October 4, 2025
More

    Top 6 This Week

    popular+

    CAFC and Partners Raise Awareness To The Bank Investigator Scam

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    (MIDLAND,ON)– Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are continuing to raise the awareness for North Simcoe residents of the various scams that they may encounter on the telephone or online.

    The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre would like to warn Canadians about an increase in reporting related to the “bank investigator” scam. Fraudsters are impersonating financial institutions, law enforcement, Amazon and credit reporting agencies claiming that the victim’s bank account has been compromised.

    In some cases, suspects provide some of the victim’s personal information which might include name, date of birth, phone number, address, Social Insurance Number (SIN) and debit card number to make the call seem legitimate. Additionally, suspects are spoofing financial institutions, law enforcement and credit reporting agencies’ phone numbers or are providing fraudulent call-back phone numbers which impersonate the institutions.

    Current variations of the bank investigator scam:

    1.) Victims receive an automated phone call claiming to be their financial institution, law enforcement, credit reporting agency (Equifax® Canada or Transunion) or, in some cases, Amazon advising that there have been fraudulent transactions in their account. Fraudsters will request access to the victims’ computer or device to continue the “investigation”. Victims are then shown a fraudulent transaction on their online bank account. The suspects state that they want the victims’ help in an ongoing “investigation” against the criminals who stole their money and request that the victims send funds as part of the “investigation”.

    In some cases, fraudsters will add the victim as a “payee” with a fraudulent email address and advise that the victim must transfer a large amount of money in order to protect their account. The fraudsters will convince the victim that they have added funds to the victim’s account but, in reality, the funds were transferred from their line of credit or savings account.

    2.) Suspects may have the victim’s debit card number and password but cannot access the victim’s account due to multi-factor authentication protection on their account. Suspects then proceed to contact the victim claiming to be their financial institution and will advise the victim that they must provide a code they receive via text message or email in order to confirm their identity. The code the victim provides is the multi-factor authentication code which gives the suspects full access to their bank account.

    3.) Suspects will advise that they are required to retrieve the victim’s debit or credit card from their residence as part of the investigation. Suspects will attend the victim’s residence to pick up the card and they may even ask the victim to cut the card in half without damaging the card chip to make the call seem more legitimate. They may also threaten victims that they may be arrested if they do not cooperate.

    Warning Signs – How to Protect Yourself

    • Criminals use Call-Spoofing to mislead victims. Do not assume that phone numbers appearing on your call display are accurate.

    • If you get an incoming call claiming to be from your financial institution, advise the caller that you will call them back. End the call and dial the number on the back of your bank debit card from a different phone if possible or wait 10 minutes before making the outgoing call.

    • Credit bureaus will not randomly call you, unless it is a requested call back. If you receive an incoming call claiming to be from a credit bureau, advise the caller that you will call them back. Visit the credit bureau’s website and contact the official phone number provided.

    • These institutions or law enforcement will never threaten you over the phone.

    • Don’t share codes received via text message or email with anyone. In most cases, these are multi-factor authentication codes that will give fraudsters access to your account.

    • Fraudsters will often provide the first 4 to 6 numbers of your debit or credit card. Remember that these numbers are used to identify the card issuer and are known as the Bank Identifier Number (BIN). Most debit and credit card numbers issued by specific financial institutions begin with the same 4 to 6 numbers.

    • If your personal information has been compromised in the past through a breach or a phishing message, remember that the information can be used as a tool to make the communication appear legitimate.

    • Never provide remote access to your computer.

    • Institutions or online merchants will never request transferring funds to an external account for security reasons.

    • Institutions or police will never request you to turn over your bank card nor attend your residence to pick up your bank card.

    • Enabling Auto-Deposits for Interac e-transfers provides an additional layer of security.

    • Learn more tips and tricks for protecting yourself.

    Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. If not a victim, you should still report the incident to the CAFC.

    Fraud: Recognize. Reject. Report.

    #kNOwFraud

    Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

    Popular Articles

    GEORGIANBAYNEWS.COM

    Popular Articles

    Love Horoscopes by Orion Moonsong | For the Week of June 1st, 2025

    Orion Moonsong, celestial eavesdropper extraordinaire… While we’re all busy with our earthly concerns, this astronomical busybody is up there tuning into the universe’s gossip channel,...

    Exclusive Luxury Condo with Unmatched Views and Prime Location!

    405 - 17 SPOONER CRESCENT , Collingwood 2 Bed / 2 Bath / $529,000 / MLS® Listing #:S11975474 Indulge in the ultimate year-round retreat with this...

    Collingwood OPP Arrest Three in Traffic Stop Linked to Local Thefts

    (COLLINGWOOD, ON) - On April 2, 2025, at approximately 11:22 p.m., members of the Collingwood and Blue Mountains Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)...

    The Famous Hindle’s Hardware Store | Clarksburg, Ontario Dec 2024

    Thanks to Duncan Bristow for this great share! For more of Duncan's great music videos click here. Historic, family run hardware store in the heart...

    TikTok’s Data Collection: What the App Really Knows About You

    In the age of social media, few platforms have captured global attention quite like TikTok. With over a billion users worldwide, the short-form video...

    The 2nd Annual Hope Haven Hoedown

    Please join us at Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre on Saturday September 21st for the 2nd Annual Hope Haven Hoedown! Saturday, 21 September 2024 from...

    Town of The Blue Mountains | Seniors Fair Returns on Wednesday, September 18

    The Town of The Blue Mountains is proud to once again host the Seniors Fair in partnership with the Blue Mountains Seniors Network on...

    One World Music Festival Returns to Midland’s Little Lake Park

    This will be One Great Event - Malloy MIDLAND, ON — The One World Music Festival is set to bring a vibrant array of musical performances,...

    Ally Vitally asks: Feeling a bit sluggish? Want to give your immune system a boost? #GINGER

    Look no further than the power of ginger and turmeric. These potent roots, packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, can be easily transformed into...

    Meaford Harbour 5K Run in Support of Meaford Hospital

    Join Us! Saturday July 13, 2024 - 9am sharp! ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 6:00 P.M. ON THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 ADVANCE REGISTRATION / RACE KIT PICK UP at the...

    How to Lie Your Way to $44 Billion | Saigon Commercial Bank Fraud

    What happens when one person owns a bank and is free to do whatever they want with customer deposits. Well.. they steal as much...

    Northwinds Beach Safe For Swimming

    The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to inform the public that Northwinds Beach is no longer posted as ‘unsafe for swimming’ following...

    Town of The Blue Mountains Reminds Residents that Watering Restrictions are in Effect

    The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to remind residents that Water Use Restrictions remain in effect throughout the summer until September 1,...

    ‘AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE’ — A Jimi Hendrix Halloween Party | Milkbarn Sessions

    Road Waves presents...'AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE' — A Jimi Hendrix Halloween Party! Catch one of Canada's hottest touring acts, Road Waves, as they take on...

    Where Fun Meets Fitness | Best Electric Bikes for 2025

    E-Biking: Where Fun Meets Fitness E-bikes have revolutionized cycling by making it accessible to people of all fitness levels. The electric assistance allows riders to...

    Malloy | The Maple Leaf Forever: Celebrating Canada Day

    On July 1st each year, a sea of red and white floods the streets as Canadians come together to celebrate our national holiday -...

    OPP – LARGE QUANTITIES OF FENTANYL AND COCAINE SEIZED

    (PETERBOROUGH, ON) - A Peterborough resident is facing drug-related charges following a joint investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Peterborough Police Service (PPS). In...

    Why there’s a lack of competition in Canada | The Current

    From groceries to air travel to phone providers, many services in Canada are controlled by just a handful of companies. We look at why...

    OPP LAY MURDER CHARGE IN 34-YEAR-OLD HISTORIC HOMICIDE

    (ORILLIA, ON) - Police have charged an individual in a 34-year-old historic homicide in Apsley, north of Peterborough. On Wednesday, October 9, 1991, members from the...

    OPP LAYS CHARGES IN DRIVEWAY PAVING FRAUD

    The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch (ARB) has laid criminal charges against two individuals following an investigation into driveway paving fraud spanning several regions...

    Mehdi Hasan – What’s Happening in Syria? A Leading Analyst Breaks it Down

    “Nobody expected this to happen. I think it surprised everybody, including probably the rebels themselves.” Syrian-American journalist Hassan Hassan joins Mehdi Hasan to break...

    Tapestry: the Carole King Songbook | Meaford Hall

    Saturday, September 14, 2024 7:30 pm - BUY TICKETS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csQX6kYTDCU&t=262s Tapestry: the Carole King Songbook, starring Suzanne O Davis is the Premier musical tribute to Carole...

    Town of The Blue Mountains Statement on OPP Funding

    The Town of The Blue Mountains is welcoming the news that the Ontario government is proposing to provide over $77 million in financial relief...

    Collingwood implementing new speed limit reductions to 30km/in School and Community Safety Zones

    Collingwood, ON – Just ahead of the new school year, Council continues their commitment to community safety and safer streets by implementing a new...