Nelson residents are being asked to remain vigilant against scammers as police continue to investigate several cases of fraud in the community.
“These scams are designed to trick individuals into providing personal and financial information, often leading to financial loss or identity theft,” said the Nelson Police Department.
Fraudulent texts, calls, and online scams often impersonate trusted organizations, including banks, government agencies, or potential employers.
The department said there has also been a rise in fraud on buy-and-sell platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. Police said scammers post fake ads for items that do not exist and require deposits or banking information from buyers.
Robo-calls originating from city numbers
On Aug. 20, a local resident visited city hall after getting an automated call from a number that appeared to belong to a Nelson municipal building.
The call delivered a pre-recorded message, but the resident recognized it as fake.
The department said the incident is an example of “caller-ID spoofing” – a common tactic used by scammers to disguise their location.
By using a trusted number, there is a greater chance recipients will believe the call is legitimate.
“Even if a call has a local area code, it doesn’t mean the caller is genuine. Always verify before you trust,” said Special Constable Taburiaux.
Credit-card fraud
Police also received a credit-card fraud report this month, but this time the victim knew the scammer.
Police noted that on Aug. 13, a person reported a fraud case involving an acquaintance contacted via Instagram. The acquaintance asked the person to open a Flexiti Wave card under their name to transfer cash.
The victim sent a photo of their B.C. Services Card, which the acquaintance used to open the credit card in the victim’s name.
The acquaintance then asked the victim to e-transfer $102, promising to send $1,100 in return, but the money never arrived.
Later, the acquaintance asked for a one-time passcode, saying it was needed to complete the transfer.
Shortly after sending the passcode, the victim noticed a $898 charge on their credit card.
Communication eventually stopped, no funds were received, and the victim realized they had been defrauded and called the police. The investigation is ongoing.
“Fraud doesn’t always come from a stranger – unfortunately, it can also come from someone you know or once trusted,” said Special Constable Taburiaux.
Nelson police remind residents never to open accounts, apply for credit cards, share one-time passcodes or provide personal information on behalf of another person.
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