Westside targeted in debit card scam

Penticton Herald July 18
Fraudsters have siphoned thousands of dollars from people‘s bank accounts on the Westside, and police are investigating. The crooks apparently acquired the personal identification numbers of at least 10 debit-cardholders and have withdrawn money from accounts at several banking institutions. RCMP noticed the pattern in the past week. “Something is occurring on the Westside that‘s compromising people‘s debit cards. That information is being used in the Lower Mainland,” said RCMP Const. Julie Rattee. Victims have noticed one or more suspicious withdrawals from their accounts after using their debit cards at Okanagan businesses, including Staples Business Depot in Westbank. Each transaction is usually worth hundreds of dollars.
It appears crooks have hacked into the businesses‘ debit systems. An employee at the Staples outlet said Friday “the problem has been rectified.” Rattee denied that, saying “it hasn‘t been 100 per cent from our point of view.” Most of the illegal transactions happened Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Banks have reimbursed the stolen money in at least some instances, Rattee said. Officers are following up the complaints, with a senior officer co-ordinating the investigation. “This fraud scheme can be mobile. When it gets heated up, they move to the next area. It looks like it‘s focused on the Westside right now,” Rattee said. Police suggest account holders check their recent transactions and contact their bank if they see something suspicious. If the bank confirms someone is stealing from an account, report it to police.