A Ladner senior whose debit card was used to drain thousands from her bank account wants to warn others about the danger they face from slick crooks who may be stalking them.
"I always thought I was vigilant and cautious," Shirley MacNutt told the Optimist. "It looks like if this can happen to me, it can happen to any senior citizen. I want to get this message out so other seniors know what these people are up to and to be careful."
A recent widow, but someone who always considered herself cautious and unlikely to fall for scams, MacNutt had an unsettling surprise last month when she checked her bank statement online and discovered her account drained. She then realized her debit card was missing from her purse, knowing quickly she had been scammed and that a polite, smooth-talking couple was likely responsible.
What was just as concerning as her account being emptied was how they stole her card and obtained her PIN.
Reporting the incident to police, and then having to deal with the local BMO branch, the disconcerting pieces quickly fell into place with police confirming she had been followed by a couple who skillfully looked over her shoulder as she made a purchase using her card at a Ladner store.
The same "shoulder surfing" pair, a welldressed young couple with European accents, encountered her at a grocery store parking lot a short time later to ask for directions. They seemed like a normal couple, possibly tourists, and asked her to draw a map. MacNutt didn't think anything of it, getting a pen out from her purse, but later realized that's when the distraction theft likely occurred.
It turns out that in the ensuing days prior to MacNutt checking her account, the thieves were hard at work. Delta police confirmed that multiple ATM withdrawals and purchases occurred over four days in Delta, Langley and Vancouver. Three "fraudulent cheques" totaling $9,430, which were nothing more than blank envelopes, were also deposited into her account and the money withdrawn.
"I didn't think anything of them," MacNutt said of the couple. "I didn't notice them in the store at all following me. Yes, it's concerning how they were following me around, thinking I was a senior easy to rip off. They looked perfectly normal and didn't act suspiciously at all.
"How many other seniors are they targeting? I do all the right things and never thought I'd be an easy target, but they did. If it happened to me, it can happen to anybody."
MacNutt had to go through an arduous process but fortunately was reimbursed by the bank. Not happy her account wasn't frozen due to clearly suspicious activity, she said a big problem was the type of account, one which had a large limit for cash withdrawals and doesn't put a hold on deposited cheques.
MacNutt now has a new account with a lower daily withdrawal limit and a hold on deposited cheques. She recommends seniors take a look at the type of accounts they have and think about what they really need.
As far as being followed and her PIN number observed, as well as the slick distraction theft, she said seniors have to be even more vigilant because there's a chance someone is stalking them.
Const. Steve Wilson with the Delta Police Department's economic/technical crime unit said the tourist angle is one of several cons for distraction theft.
"Don't leave valuables, including your wallet or purse, out in the open and trust your instincts. If it seems suspicious, don't hesitate to tell the people to go away and file a report with your local law enforcement agency," he said.
Remembering to immediately put your debit card back in your wallet or purse, not writing down your code, as well as frequently checking your account balance, are also tips when it comes to preventing debit card fraud. Setting a low withdrawal limit on your account is also a good idea.
Wilson said other tips include watching out for shoulder surfers and using your hand or body to shield others from seeing your transaction. He also said only to conduct debit transactions when and where you feel secure, and if anyone tries to distract you at a banking machine, complete what you're doing and retrieve your card before talking to them.
The Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Debit Card Services protects consumers in their use of debit card services, clarifying consumer and industry responsibilities. You could be liable, if, for example, you do not report a theft immediately or leave your PIN unsecured. You're not liable in situations in which you were the victim of trickery, force, intimidation or theft.
