Fake bank investigator calls cost Canadians over $28 million last year

The Ontario Provincial Police say complaints are rising about callers posing as a bank's fraud team who claim your card was used or money was taken from your account. In one recent case the scammers spoofed caller ID, sent the victim to a fake verification website, then took over the victim's accounts, changed email settings, and ran up credit card charges. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says Canadians lost more than $28 million to bank investigator scams in 2025.

What to do: Caller ID can be faked. Hang up, call the number on the back of your card yourself, and never give a caller remote access to your computer.

Source: OPP via Pembroke Today, Oct 29

This story was part of The Fraud Briefing's Top 5 for the week ending November 1, 2026. Get it in your inbox every week: subscribe here. Watch the 20-second version on YouTube at @thefraudbriefing.