The Regina Police Service would like to make people aware of a recent scam that has been recently reported to police.
The scam, known as the “Bank Inspection Scam” is most often initialized by a phone call from a person claiming to be a bank manager from the potential victim’s banking institution who calls warning that they believe that their account has been compromised. The scammer alleges that one of the tellers at the bank has withdrawn a substantial amount from the victim’s account, and needs the victim to verify if this shows up on their bank statement or if it was requested by the victim. The victim will, of course, deny that they see it on their statement or granted permission. The “bank manager” will then request that they use the victim’s bank account as part of their investigation, instructing the victim to carefully withdraw a specified amount of cash from the tellers at the bank, and to meet with the “bank manager” at a specified location. When they meet, the victim hands the money over to return to the bank as part of the investigation, and the “bank manager” makes off with the money.
The “bank manager” recently involved in this scam is described as a Caucasian male in his 50s, about 6’ tall, clean shaven, no accent, wearing a dark baseball cap, dark pants, and a long sleeve shirt. It is likely that the scammer is not a resident of Regina, but if he is still targeting residents we wish to warn the public of this scam.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of this type of scam, call your financial institution immediately and report it to the Regina Police Service 306-777-6500 or your local police agency.