Downtown staff member loses $34,000 to caller posing as bank representative, VPD says
Vancouver police say a call lasting more than an hour led to two bank accounts being drained. The VPD is advising the public not to disclose banking information.
Illustrative photoA staff member at a downtown organization was defrauded of $34,000 after a phone call from someone posing as a bank representative, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said.
According to the VPD, the caller used a spoofed phone number and appeared to have detailed information about the victim's banking accounts. The call lasted more than an hour.
Police said the information the victim provided allowed access to two bank accounts. One was drained of approximately $18,000 and the other of approximately $16,000, for a total of $34,000.
The incident was reported to police.
What police advise
The VPD is advising the public not to disclose banking information. It says people should:
- Never provide personal or banking information over the phone unless the caller's identity has been independently verified.
- Hang up on a suspicious call.
- Contact the bank directly, using the number listed on the bank card or the bank's official website.
Sources
This story was prepared with AI assistance from the sources listed above and reviewed by a Northline editor before publication. How we use AI · Report an error