Vancouver police warn of bank impersonation call that cost one employee $34,000
A caller using a spoofed number posed as a bank representative and stayed on the line for over an hour, according to Vancouver Police. The advice is to hang up and call the bank on a number you look up yourself.
In short
- What happened?
- According to Vancouver Police, a downtown employee lost $34,000 after a caller using a spoofed number posed as a bank representative. The call lasted over an hour and led to two accounts being accessed.
- What was the warning sign?
- An unexpected caller claiming to be from your bank, seeming to know account details and asking for information, even when the number looks genuine.
- What can you do?
- Do not give banking information to someone who rings you. Hang up and call your bank on the number printed on your card or on its official website, as the police advise.
What happened
According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), a staff member at a downtown organisation lost $34,000 after a phone call from someone posing as a bank representative. The police said the caller used a spoofed phone number, which means the number shown on the screen was not a true sign of who was ringing.
The caller appeared to have detailed information about the person's bank accounts. The call lasted more than an hour, and during it the caller persuaded the person to give out information that allowed access to two accounts. The person later found that the accounts had been emptied of roughly $18,000 and $16,000. The incident was reported to the police.
The VPD is reminding the public to be careful with unsolicited calls from anyone claiming to represent a financial institution.
Warning signs
- An unexpected call from someone saying they are from your bank.
- A number on the screen that looks genuine. The police said this one was spoofed.
- A caller who seems to know details about your accounts, which can make the call feel more trustworthy.
- A long call in which you are asked to hand over personal or banking information.
What families can do
- Do not give personal or banking information over the phone unless you have independently checked who is calling, as the VPD advises.
- If a call seems suspicious, hang up and contact your bank directly, using the number on your bank card or on the bank's official website.
- Remember that knowing your details does not prove a caller is genuine.
- Agree a simple family rule: if a call is about money, you can end it and talk it over with someone first.
- If you have lost money, report it to your bank and to the police.
For families who want fewer unexpected calls, QuietGuard on Android lets only the people you have named as trusted ring your phone, while other calls stay quiet and appear in Activity. It cannot judge whether a call from a trusted number is genuine, and it is no substitute for hanging up and calling your bank back yourself.
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