Saanich Police Financial Crimes investigators are hard at work tracking an account takeover and identity theft which occurred in Saanich.
The 19 year old victim contacted the Saanich Police at the end of November. She had lost a total of $12000.00 from her Royal Bank account. The victim recalls receiving an email from what she thought was from the bank towards the end of October. She recalled opening it, but did not reply to the attempt to obtain personal data.
The working theory of investigators is that by simply opening the email it may have infected her computer allowing personal banking data to be compromised.
Investigators have determined that an Asian female entered branches in Alberta and conducted three separate transactions. To conduct the transactions, the suspect produced identification with her picture and the victim’s name on it.
Banks will not send emails! This is because it is an insecure form of communication for sensitive banking data and personal information. If someone saying they are from the bank contacts you by phone, take the name, look the number up yourself and call to satisfy that they actually are an employee.
“Phishing scams like this are reported weekly and there is typically little that can be done by investigators. Your best defence is to delete them,” says Sgt. Dean Jantzen.
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