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St. Albert RCMP is warning the public about phone callers posing as credit card companies or banks asking to access a home computer, after a St. Albert resident was defrauded out of $20,500.
The victim received a voicemail saying they had been overcharged for IT purposes and that they were entitled to a $210 refund.
The person called the number in the voicemail and was told by the fraudster they could take over the victim’s computer to assist in online banking, in order to transfer the money.
The victim followed instructions from the fraudster, typing in the amount of $210. After refreshing the screen, it appeared $21,000 had been transferred to the victim’s account.
The fraudster went on to say they couldn’t fix the problem on their end without excessive fees but if the victim went to their bank and transferred the $21,000 to a bank in Thailand, that would fix the problem.
The victim went to their bank and, against the bank’s warnings, transferred the money.
If you’ve been a victim of fraud you can visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
