Fraudsters impersonating anti-fraud agency targeting previous scam victims
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns of criminals using its name to contact fraud victims by phone, email and social media, demanding payment for fake investigations.
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Criminals are impersonating the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) to defraud people who've already been victims of fraud — a cruel exploitation of trust at the moment someone is most vulnerable.
The CAFC says it's seeing an increase in reports of fraudsters contacting previous fraud victims by phone, email or social media claiming to be fraud investigators working on their case. The scammers pose as investigators from the victim's bank, a credit card provider, or another major business, and claim there are unauthorized transactions or compromised banking information.
They send fake documents with the CAFC's logo and request victims transfer money to a "safe" account to help with the investigation, or hand over debit or credit card information. The core con is always the same: "If someone asks you to pay money to recover money you have already lost, it is a fraud," the CAFC states.
The CAFC and law enforcement will never ask people to transfer money, make a payment, grant remote access to devices, or provide banking information and passwords. If you receive a call claiming to be from your bank or the anti-fraud centre, hang up and contact your financial institution directly using the number on the back of your card — not any number the caller provided.
This marks an escalation in fraud tactics targeting Torontonians.
How many Torontonians have reported being contacted by fraudsters impersonating the CAFC in the current period?
What is the total dollar amount victims have lost to CAFC impersonation scams?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
