Express Site Guide |
|
|
|
|
Express Features |
|
|
|
|
Classifieds |
|
|
|
|
LOCAL RESOURCES |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Mounties on high alert against debit card scam
11/05/08
BY JOHNNIE BACHUSKY
Red Deer Express
RCMP is still trying to determine the source of a major bank debit card scam that may have already victimized dozens of local shoppers and businesses.
“A large number of people from Red Deer could have fallen victim,” said Const. Sabrina Grunow, Red Deer city RCMP media liaison.
“Potentially we could be looking at a large amount of cash gone from citizens and businesses.
“If you don’t monitor your bank account on a regular basis and don’t know this is going on, it could go on for a couple of weeks before you find out anything is amiss,” added Grunow.
She said the RCMP’s preliminary investigation has revealed the fraud is likely due to a skimming operation, a method by scam artists to copy banking information by using false card readers.
The information is then transmitted wirelessly and used to create new bank cards from the stolen information.
Grunow said RCMP has not yet established the source of the skimming operation, although early media reports suggested there were many victims at Bower Place shopping mall.
“We are still working on trying to find the source where all this is coming from, whether it is a skimming machine, an employee or theft of information from a business data bank,” said Grunow.
She said RCMP detectives, including K Division commercial crime specialists, are attempting to determine if the problem is more widespread, including whether there have been similar incidents have occurred outside Red Deer.
Roxanne Kirton, assistant general manager of Bower Place mall, emphasized her office received only one store complaint – and none from citizens - of debit card fraud.
However, she said Bower Place has already taken proactive measures to ensure shoppers are safe, including contacting Interac and the mall’s ATM provider, Cash N Go, to check the four cash machines in the mall.
“We are doing everything we can internally. They (Cash N Go) had a technician come out to ensure machines are operating properly and that there has been no tampering,” said Kirton. “There is no evidence to suggest it is done from the four machines in our mall, otherwise Interac would shut them down.
“It could be a number of things,” she added. “It could be PIN pads, or an individual who is going around with something to skim accounts.”
Kirton said retailers at the mall were briefed this morning of the scam, as well as the ongoing RCMP investigation, at the annual seasonal coffee meeting. RCMP officers were present to offer retailers tips on how to avoid being defrauded.
“The RCMP is working on this and we are doing everything we can to make it safe for everyone,” said Kirton.
Meanwhile, if anyone has been a victim of this fraudulent activity, the RCMP is advising citizens to contact their financial institution and police in their area, as well as putting out a fraud alert on their credit report by contacting Equifax and Trans Union, RCMP is also recommending citizens carefully monitor their records and help to stop further fraud by contacting Phonebusters (www.phonebusters.com).
To avoid being a victim the RCMP further advises citizens to not take their eyes off their bank or credit card, always watch any store employee who needs to use a terminal to process your debit card, ensure Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) are out of sight, inspect the back of the Interac pad to ensure no one has tampered with it, ensure the financial institution named on the Interac pad matches the one named on the base machine and check bank accounts frequently to verify there has been no suspicious or fraudulent activity on the accounts.
Red Deer City RCMP and Red Deer City RCMP General Investigation Section are continuing to investigate the current debit card scam.
If anyone has information relating to this crime he or she is asked to contact Red Deer city RCMP at 403-343-5575 or Central Alberta Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
jbachusky@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5456
|
| |
|
SERVICES |
|
