Kingston Police are warning the public about a fraud involving individuals posing as food delivery drivers and customers in an effort to obtain bank cards and PIN information.
Several recent incidents have been reported throughout the Kingston area. Police said two individuals appeared to be involved in a coordinated scam, with one posing as a customer and the other as a food delivery driver.
In the reported incidents, the person posing as the customer approached a victim and claimed their payment card was not working. The person asked the victim to pay for the food using a PIN payment terminal associated with the delivery driver.
The customer provided cash to the victim, while the victim was instructed to use a bank card on the PIN reader.
During the transaction, the victim’s bank card was switched with another card. The victim then entered their PIN into the payment terminal, unknowingly providing the suspects with access to both the bank card and PIN.
After the transactions, the stolen debit cards were used to make cash withdrawals, deposits of bad cheques and retail purchases.
Kingston Police are advising members of the public to be cautious if approached in similar circumstances.
Potential warning signs include a vehicle without identifiable food-delivery markings or decals, a delivery driver asking a person to keep or hold the PIN payment terminal inside the vehicle, or a person requesting assistance who is unable to provide clear or specific information about the food order.
Police also identified as warning signs a person requesting payment who does not appear to live in the area or provides inconsistent information, being asked to enter a PIN into a payment terminal for a transaction the cardholder did not initiate, or being asked to use a bank card on another person’s payment terminal in exchange for cash.
Police are reminding residents never to give their bank card or PIN to another person or enter their PIN into a payment terminal when they are unsure who is operating the transaction.
Anyone asked to pay for another person’s food or another purchase using a debit or credit card in exchange for cash should consider declining the request. A legitimate delivery driver should not require a person to provide banking information or a PIN to facilitate another person’s purchase.
Anyone who believes their card has been switched or compromised should contact their financial institution immediately and report the incident, cancel the affected card and request a replacement, change their PIN if appropriate, monitor their account for unauthorized transactions and report the incident to Kingston Police.
Anyone who believes they have been affected by the fraud can contact Kingston Police at 613-549-4660 ext. 0.
Tips can also be provided anonymously by calling the Kingston Police general number at 613-549-4660 ext. 0 and asking to remain anonymous.
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