Toronto police stop $2.9M remote-access scam in progress after Edmonton tip
Officers arrived at a victim's home during a live call and the suspect disconnected, but investigators say the fraud was stopped before any transfers were made.
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Toronto police stopped a $2.9 million remote-access scam while it was still in progress, before any money left a victim's account, after Edmonton police alerted the Toronto Police Service Financial Crimes Unit on Thursday.
Police warn that scammers often pose as telecom providers, bank staff or tech companies, and that caller ID, a familiar company name or a video call is not proof of identity. Do not install remote-access software at an unexpected caller's direction, and do not open online banking while an untrusted person can see your screen. End the call and check with the company using the number on your bill or its official website. If you already gave access, disconnect from the internet, contact your bank from another device, and have the computer examined by a reputable technician before using it for banking.
The suspect posed as a representative of a major telecommunications company and told the victim the company was improving services in the neighbourhood. He asked for remote access to the victim's computer to check internet speed, pointed to supposed viruses, and told the victim to open online banking to look for unauthorized withdrawals. The remote-access tool named in the case was UltraViewer.
Officers from 32 Division arrived at the victim's home during the video call, while the suspect was still in the victim's online banking. They told the victim it was a scam and instructed no transfers or authorizations. When officers tried to speak with the suspects, they disconnected. Officers later saw activity showing someone still accessing the victim's computer remotely.
Toronto police said the intervention "prevented any transactions from taking place" and that the case shows "the importance of sharing information and acting quickly to interrupt fraud before money is lost."
