The Regina Police Service would like to warn residents of a new theft/fraud scam. The scam typically begins with a phone call, from a small delivery company, asking if you, the recipient, will be home to take a delivery of a package, requiring a signature. A delivery person arrives, uniformed, with flowers and wine but no card to indicate who the package is from. There is a promise that the card will be sent separately. The delivery person will then explain that, since the package contains alcohol, there is a small (under $5) delivery charge, for which they can only accept a credit or debit card payment. The transaction requires you, the recipient, to type in your card’s PIN number and security number. A few short days later, the recipients notice their bank statements showing large sums of money being withdrawn from credit/debit accounts at various ATM machines, indicating the credit or debit card has been compromised.
Please be wary of accepting any “surprise gift or package,” which you neither expected nor personally ordered, especially if it involves any kind of payment as a condition of receiving the gift or package. Also, never accept anything if you do not personally know the sender or cannot obtain the sender’s proper identification of who the sender is. The only time you should give out any personal credit/debit card information is when you yourself have initiated the purchase or transaction.
If you have been involved in such a scam, please contact the Regina Police Service 306-777-6500 or your local police agency.
