3 victims gave a stranger their bank and credit cards, prompting a warning from Guelph police

Three people in their 90s in Guelph handed over their bank and credit cards to someone they thought was a courier for their bank, but what was really a scam, police say.

The Guelph Police Service says there have been three reports in the past week of people handing over cards and several about the scam.

It all begins when the victim receives a call from a person claiming to represent the fraud department at the bank.

During the call, the fake bank worker convinces the victim their credit or debit cards have been compromised. Then, the caller tells the victim to turn the cards over to a courier. In each of the cases, the scammer claims they need the cards to fully investigate to case.

"The scammers will also send the victims a link which replicates their bank's online login page. By clicking on the link and answering a series of questions, the victims provide the scammers with their PIN and online log-in credentials," the Guelph Police Service said in a media release.

The person who is acting as the courier arrives at the victim's home. After the bank and credit cards are handed over by the victims, they're used. Police say in one case, $5,000 was taken from the person's account.

Police say the courier has been described as a man in his 20s with blond or brown hair and a medium build. He may be wearing a surgical mask.

"Residents are encouraged to be wary of any telephone call, email or text which requires you to take immediate action," police said.

"If you are contacted by someone claiming to represent your financial institution, hang up and contact the institution directly using the number on the back of your banking card to confirm the legitimacy of the information before taking action."

The Canadian Bankers Association also has tips for how to deal with potential scams:

• Remember a bank or police investigator will never request you help with an undercover investigation or ask you to take money out of your account.
• Never give out personal information over the phone unless you have called your bank using a legitimate phone number from the back of a credit or debit card.
• If you are withdrawing a large amount of money for someone, request a bank draft or money order. "Criminals will not accept these forms of payment because it creates a paper trail that can be used by real investigators to track the fraudsters," the association says.
• Check your bank statement frequently and report irregularities to your bank.

Anyone who thinks they've been the victim of a scam like this, or who may have information that could help investigators, is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.