The Ottawa Police Service on Tuesday issued a series of photos of two men it described as suspects in a series of sophisticated frauds that cost the victims a total of $250,000.
One man was described in a news release as Black and in his early 20s with a slim build and brown eyes.
The other man was described in the release as Black and also in his early 20s with a slim build, black braids and brown eyes.
Police said the suspects had posed as bank fraud investigators. They would contact victims by telephone using “spoofed” caller ID to impersonate personnel from banks or financial institutions and claiming that the victims’ accounts had been compromised.
They would eventually request sensitive banking information such as PINs and passwords, then instruct the victims to leave their bank cards in designated locations for collection by couriers.
After retrieving the cards, the scammers would use them to withdraw funds from the accounts or to make large purchases.
Anyone with information about the identities of the two suspects was asked to contact Det. Wahbeh of the Ottawa Police Service’s Organized Fraud Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5492. Anonymous tips can be given to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppers.ca.
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