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Nanaimo woman tricked by scammer into granting online banking access

Woman has $4,000 stolen from bank accounts
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A woman in Nanaimo lost about $4,000 to scammers claiming to represent an online marketplace. (News Bulletin file photo)

A woman in Nanaimo recently lost thousands of dollars from her bank accounts when she was defrauded by a scammer claiming to represent an online marketplace.

According to a Nanaimo RCMP press release, a woman contacted police Oct. 7 to report she’d received an unsolicited phone call from a person who said they worked for Amazon. The caller asked her if she’d purchased an item valued at $700 and directed her to key her response into her phone’s keypad. The woman was connected to a scammer who convinced her to give him remote access to her laptop computer.

Ultimately, $4,000 was electronically transferred out of her bank accounts.

When the woman realized she’d been scammed she immediately cancelled her bank cards and online banking account, changed her cell phone number and took her laptop to a computer repair service and had it scanned for viruses.

To report an online fraud or learn about current online frauds, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

READ ALSO: Store employees in Nanaimo prevent scam victim from spending $3,500 on pre-paid credit cards



photos@nanaimobulletin.com

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