VANCOUVER Police are warning seniors and their families about a new bank card scam that has surfaced this month.

Fraudsters have been calling victims from a phone number that appears to be a legitimate financial institution and claiming there has been irregular activity on their bank accounts. They convince the seniors to turn over personal information – including home addresses, passwords and personal identification numbers (PIN) – and advise them that a courier is on the way to pick up the bank cards.

After the senior turn over their cards, the scammers use the personal information they obtained to withdraw money.

“Since the beginning of December, VPD has received two reports from seniors who have been victims of this scam and have lost close to $40,000 combined,” says Constable Tania Visintin. “These fraudsters are finding success by preying on vulnerable people in our community and betraying their trust.”

The first incident occurred on December 3, when an unknown person called a 72-year-old victim claiming to be a CIBC bank teller. The scammer told the senior there had been irregular activity on her account and she had to turn in her bank card. The fraudster spoke with the victim for four hours, gaining her trust and getting personal information from her. The next day, a man arrived at the victim’s home and took her card. After losing $30,000 from her account, the victim called police.

Five days later, on December 8, an 81-year-old victim received a phone call from a person claiming to be from Mastercard. The fraudster advised the victim her credit card had been compromised and the card needed to be sent to a lab for diagnosis. The fraudster was able to trick the woman into giving out her home address and other personal bank information. Later that day, a person came to her door to pick up the card. She realized she had lost $6,500 and called police.

“We remind everyone that a financial institution will never send a courier to your door to collect an alleged fraudulent card,” says Visintin. “If you get a phone call like this, hang up, and follow up with your bank if you are still feeling unsure.”

No arrests have been made and both cases are now being investigated by VPD’s Financial Crime Unit.

Vancouver Police encourage anyone with information about this scam to come forward immediately.

If it’s a crime in progress or if there is an immediate safety concern, call 9-1-1.

If the suspect has already left, call the non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.