A woman from Halifax is recounting her encounter as a fraud victim in the hope of preventing others from falling into the trap of scammers.
Candida Hadley recently met a friend for tea at a café in north-end Halifax. When she got up to leave after a chat that lasted a couple of hours, she noticed her purse felt lighter than usual.
Upon checking inside, she discovered that her wallet was missing. Despite searching thoroughly and asking café staff if it had been found, she concluded that it had been stolen.
However, the theft of her wallet was just the beginning of her ordeal.
Before leaving to freeze her cards, she received a call that appeared to be from Royal Bank on her phone. The caller informed her of suspicious activity on her card and proceeded to ask various verification questions, even keeping her on the line for a few minutes while supposedly checking details on their end — as banks typically do.
Describing the experience, Hadley mentioned, “It felt like a standard call, confirming identity, card details, and expressing sympathy for the stolen wallet.” In the conversation, she unwittingly disclosed her PIN to the caller, who turned out to be the wallet thief rather than a bank representative.
Reflecting on the incident, Hadley began to have doubts about the call being part of a scam. She took immediate action to cancel her cards, but unfortunately, it was too late. Within the 30 minutes that the scammers had access, they made a $700 purchase at Shoppers Drug Mart and withdrew $500 in cash.
Additionally, there was an unsuccessful attempt to make a $3,000 purchase at Best Buy. Hadley suspected that another call she received just eight minutes after arriving at the café — likely moments after her wallet was stolen — was also part of the scam.
The automated call, without a displayed caller ID, suggested someone was trying to buy a MacBook Pro from the Apple store at the Halifax Shopping Centre and prompted her to press a specific number on the keypad to confirm or deny the purchase. Realizing she had been defrauded, she attempted to call back but found the number out of service.
Hadley expressed bewilderment about how the scammers acquired her cellphone number, which was not listed inside her wallet, was unlisted, and was not publicly available. Recalling the events, she noted a person in the café behaving oddly near the cash register shortly after she arrived.
Despite her usual caution and awareness against email scams, Hadley admitted to being caught off guard by the phone call, describing it as part of a “very sophisticated” operation. She emphasized that the theft and the call seemed unrelated until the scam unfolded.
Police in Halifax are actively investigating the incident reported on August 13. According to police spokesperson Marla MacInnis, such scams are prevalent and emphasized the importance of safeguarding personal information. MacInnis advised individuals to pause and assess the legitimacy of callers before sharing personal details.
Having disclosed her PIN to the caller, Hadley acknowledged that her bank would not provide a refund. She warned others against sharing PINs and highlighted the possibility of faked caller IDs.
In conclusion, Hadley’s experience serves as a cautionary tale, urging people to exercise vigilance when contacted and never divulge personal information without confirming the identity and legitimacy of the caller or organization.