A woman from Halifax is speaking out about her encounter with fraud in the hope of raising awareness and preventing others from becoming victims of scammers.
Candida Hadley found herself in a troubling situation after meeting a friend for tea at a café in north-end Halifax. Upon realizing her wallet was missing, she suspected it had been stolen. As she was about to take action by freezing her cards, she received a call that appeared to be from Royal Bank regarding suspicious activity on her card.
Trusting the caller’s identity, Hadley shared her PIN, unknowingly providing it to the thief. Despite growing suspicions about the call being a scam, it was too late. Within half an hour, the fraudsters managed to make a $700 purchase at a local store and withdraw $500 in cash. They also attempted a $3,000 transaction at another store, but it failed.
In a twist of events, another call shortly after the wallet went missing claimed someone was trying to buy an expensive item at a mall, prompting Hadley to take further action. She noted peculiar behavior from a person in the café, which she now believes was connected to the scam.
Reflecting on the incident, Hadley acknowledged the scam’s sophistication and cautioned others against sharing personal information over the phone. Regrettably, due to providing her PIN, her bank refused to issue a refund. Halifax Regional Police are investigating the case, emphasizing the prevalence of such scams and advising vigilance in protecting personal details.
This cautionary tale serves as a reminder to stay alert and verify the legitimacy of any communication requesting sensitive information, as scammers continually devise elaborate schemes to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
