Ontario Provincial Police are issuing a warning about a scam in the Ottawa Valley telling people their credit card was compromised, after a resident in South Algonquin Township lost nearly $10,000.
Police say the scammer calls and pretends to be from a financial institution or credit card company, “and falsely tells the victim that their credit card and/or banking information has been compromised.
“The scammer creates a sense of urgency and then asks for the caller to confirm their bank card and/or credit card number, PIN number and personal information,” the OPP said in a media release.
Police say in this recent case, a “courier” was sent to the resident’s home in South Algonquin Township to retrieve the alleged compromised cards with the promise of later replacing them.
The cards were never replaced.
Police say the scam calls are often made late at night or early in the morning, “with the hopes of catching the potential victim off guard.”
People are being reminded to verify the legitimacy of any caller before providing any personal information over the phone and to contact their financial institution should you receive information that your credit card or banking information has been compromised.