In the past several weeks, the Winnipeg Police Service has received several reports about purses/wallets being stolen and the payment cards contained within. The payment cards are subsequently used to withdraw funds at ATMs using the victim’s Personal Identification Number (PIN). The suspect(s) works alone or often in a group to obtain a victim’s PIN by using the technique of “shoulder surfing” while the victim enters their PIN at a retail location or ATM.
Once the PIN is surreptitiously obtained, the suspect(s) will often use distraction techniques to preoccupy the victim and steal their purse, wallet or actual payment cards.
The thieves use the payment cards to make ATM withdrawals in rapid succession until the funds are depleted or the issuing bank detects the fraud and deactivates the cards.
If multiple payment cards are taken, the suspect(s) will attempt to make withdrawals on all of the cards. It is common for people to use the same PIN for each payment card.
Members of the public can take precautions to protect themselves by implementing the following strategies:
Make sure no one is standing nearby while using and entering your pin code
Use your hand, wallet or body to shield as a shield while entering your PIN code
Never leave your wallet or purse unattended, even for a short period of time, e.g., in a shopping cart or vehicle
Be wary of individuals who may engage with you while you are loading your purchases into your vehicle or leaving an ATM
Immediately report any lost or stolen payment cards to your financial institution
Review all transactions/statements to identify any fraudulent activity
If your cards have been lost or stolen, consider using a mobile banking app or online banking to lock your cards from potential fraudulent usage.
Use a unique PIN for each payment card.
People should also be familiar with their cardholder agreements, as liability for fraudulent transactions can vary depending on the circumstances.
Cryptocurrency Scams Advisory
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) would like to advise the public of a recent increase in cryptocurrency investment scams. These scams promise an incredible financial return on investment within a short period of time. Multiple reports have been received whereby victims have suffered significant financial losses.
In two recent investigations, the WPS Cybercrime Investigation Team, with the support of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, traced the fraudulent crypto assets to cryptocurrency accounts held by foreign actors overseas.
As a result, of these investigations, crypto-assets totalling 0.363091 BTC (approximately $18,000 in Canadian funds based on the current value of BTC),) and 0.34 BTC (approximately $17 000 in Canadian funds based on the current value of BTC),) were recovered by the WPS and returned to the victims.
In these particular instances, the victim’s funds were recovered; however, crypto assets are difficult to track and often impossible to recover.
Potential investors should ensure they are dealing with a reputable entity before making any financial transactions.
Further information on cryptocurrency scams can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
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