A Halifax woman is warning others after thieves allegedly stole her wallet and then impersonated her bank in a coordinated scam that cost her $1,200.

Candida Hadley says her wallet disappeared while she was meeting a friend at a café in north-end Halifax. As she prepared to freeze her cards, she received a phone call that appeared on her caller ID as Royal Bank and was told there had been suspicious activity on her account.

The caller asked verification questions and eventually persuaded Hadley to disclose her PIN. She later realized the call was fraudulent, but within roughly 30 minutes the thieves had allegedly made a $700 purchase and withdrawn $500 in cash. An attempted $3,000 purchase at Best Buy was unsuccessful.

Hadley says she also received an automated call shortly after arriving at the café claiming someone was attempting to buy a MacBook Pro using her account. She believes the calls were connected to the theft and says the sophistication of the scheme made the different events appear unrelated at the time.

Halifax Regional Police confirmed they are investigating the incident and warned that caller ID information can be spoofed. Police advised consumers not to provide personal or banking information unless they are certain of the caller’s identity and the legitimacy of the organization contacting them.

The post Halifax Woman Loses $1,200 After Stolen Wallet Leads to Bank Impersonation Scam appeared first on Canadian Fraud News Inc. | Fraud related news | Fraud in Canada.

Originally published on Canadian Fraud News.