Collingwood and The Blue Mountains Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are now investigating a theft and attempted fraud they say was done by at least two people using distraction techniques to get a credit and debit card and the PIN numbers for them.
According to OPP, the theft took place at a local store recently. Police say a person was using a card to make a purchase and, during the transaction, one suspect distracted the cashier while a second suspect looked over the victim's shoulder to see the PIN number for the card being used.
"This type of fraud is commonly referred to as 'shoulder surfing,'" stated a news release from Collingwood OPP.
The person making the purchase then returned to her car, and police say one suspect then distracted the victim while the second rummaged through the victims purse in the car and took a debit and a credit card.
"Once the desired cards are obtained, the pair is seen running away from the scene and eventually make it to an ATM where they tried twice to obtain $1,000, but to no avail," states the police news release. "Thankfully the victim realized shortly thereafter that her cards were missing and cancelled both cards before any withdrawals were made."
Police are still investigating the incident and have released security photos to help identify the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call Collingwood OPP at 705-445-4321 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
For more information on fraud prevention, visit:
· The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre : https://www.antifraudcentre-
· Little Black Book of Scams : https://www.competitionbureau.
· Ontario Provincial Police : Ontario Provincial Police - Fraud (opp.ca)
