Prince Albert senior victimized by 'bank inspector' scam

People in Prince Albert, Sask., are being warned about an old banking scam that has cost at least one senior thousands of dollars.

A person calling himself a bank inspector told the woman someone had accessed her bank account. She was asked to take thousands of dollars in cash out of her account, the Prince Albert police service said.

The woman met the scammer in a public place and handed over the money, the police said. The exact amount hasn't been disclosed.

Police said in the last few days, they have received a number of similar calls from seniors in the city.

Typically, the victim is told that someone has taken money from their accounts and internal bank investigations are under way, the police said.

The victim is asked to withdraw large sums of money and then meet the 'bank inspector' in a public place where the money is handed off as part of their "investigation", police said.

Victims are also advised to tell staff at the bank branch it's for a family emergency.

Police said people should be wary of scams and remember that no reputable financial institution would have an inspector work in such a manner.

Across Canada, seniors are regularly targeted by the phoney bank inspector scam, police agencies say.