Burnaby RCMP is warning the public after someone posed as a victim services employee over the phone.
On March 7, a man in his 80s reported a fraud attempt to Burnaby RCMP after he received a phone call from a person claiming to work for the Burnaby RCMP Victim Services department, according to a release April 5.
The man, who has previously lost money to a “so-called grandparent scam” last summer, said the scammer said she could help him recover the lost funds. Police say the scammer verbally provided the Burnaby RCMP Victim Services actual number to the senior as a callback number, but when the caller couldn’t provide any identification, the senior realized it was a scam and contacted police.
READ MORE: B.C. senior falls victim to ‘grandparent scam,’ loses thousands of dollars
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Victim services offers, emotional support, assistance and referrals to people impacted by crime and trauma, but police say an employee will “never ask for money or offer to assist victims in recovering lost money.”
Burnaby RCMP say it’s “unfortunately not uncommon for police to see victims of fraud targeted more than once.”
Cpl. Mike Kalanj said it’s “disgusting” to see a scammer posing as a victim services employee while trying to defraud this senior for a second time.
Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call from someone who claims to work for the Burnaby RCMP, including the Victim Services Unit, is asked to hang up right away and call the non-emergency line at 604-646-9999.
READ MORE: Scams netted over $1 million in White Rock last year
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