Ottawa police have charged two young adults from Ottawa and Gatineau in connection with a complex “bank investigator” scam that defrauded victims of approximately $250,000. The scheme involved impersonating financial institutions, harvesting sensitive banking information, and using couriers to collect compromised cards before draining accounts.
The Ottawa Police Service has laid charges against two suspects involved in a series of sophisticated frauds that targeted residents through a deceptive “bank investigator” scheme. Investigators say the operation caused an estimated $250,000 in financial losses.
According to police, a 25-year-old Ottawa man and a 22-year-old Gatineau man posed as fraud investigators from legitimate banks. The suspects allegedly contacted victims by phone, using spoofed caller ID to appear as official financial institutions and claiming that the victims’ accounts had been compromised.
Police reported that the callers persuaded victims to disclose sensitive banking information, including passwords and PINs. The victims were then instructed to leave their debit or credit cards in predetermined locations for pickup. Couriers collected the cards, which were later used to withdraw funds or make high-value purchases.
The investigation revealed that the Ottawa suspect is facing three counts of fraud over $5,000 and 14 counts related to the possession or use of credit cards obtained by crime. The Gatineau suspect is facing five counts of fraud over $5,000 and 16 similar credit-card-related charges. Both individuals have also been charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and possession of criminal proceeds over $5,000.
Police noted that the 22-year-old suspect remains wanted by investigators.
The Organized Fraud Unit is encouraging anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Anonymous tips can also be shared through Crime Stoppers.
