Maple Ridge RCMP warn about card pickup fraud
IN recent weeks, Maple Ridge RCMP has received multiple complaints from residents about being contacted by fraudsters, posing as financial institution or credit cards companies, to arrange the physical pickup of their bank or credit cards directly from their homes. The fraud usually involves claims of an apparent account compromise with an obvious urgency attached […]
Black News 
IN recent weeks, Maple Ridge RCMP has received multiple complaints from residents about being contacted by fraudsters, posing as financial institution or credit cards companies, to arrange the physical pickup of their bank or credit cards directly from their homes.
The fraud usually involves claims of an apparent account compromise with an obvious urgency attached to it. Fraudsters will use many pressure tactics and may even have partial access to some account details. Some victims may unluckily already be having legitimate issues with their cards. The idea of having their cards picked up also adds an extra layer of ‘legitimacy’ that catches people off guard.
Police point out that financial institutions or credit card companies will never send someone to your home to pick up your cards, cash, or information.
How to protect yourself:
* Hang up. “It’s okay to be rude, it’s okay to distrustful, and hang up immediately as soon as the call comes in,” say police. If you’re still worried about your card being compromised or if, in fact, it was a legitimate call, contact the institution yourself with the information on the back of your card.
* If you are victimized, in addition to contacting your institution, report the incident to police and keep an eye on your account for suspicious transactions.
Similar frauds have also been reported in other jurisdictions and police continue to investigate and encourage anyone with information to come forward.
“Frauds can pop-up anywhere, anytime,” says Maple Ridge RCMP Constable Avinesh Bali. “As difficult as it can be sometimes, residents need to remain vigilant and take simple steps to protect themselves. Report all suspicious activity and please touch base with friends or family who may be more susceptible.”
