RCMP officers impersonated in scam

Scams are getting ever-more elaborate and convincing, and the latest one featured the impersonation of RCMP officers on a video call.

West Kelowna RCMP say they heard from two would-be victims who received calls from the official West Kelowna detachment number inviting them on a video call.

That’s when the fraudsters, dressed in police style uniforms, attempted to get personal and banking info from them.

“This scam is very elaborate and convincing,” Constable Ash Puri of the West Kelowna RCMP said. “We want to stress that the RCMP will never ask for money, personal banking information, or private identification details over the phone or through video chat.”

Both individuals who reported the scam were advised to contact their local police agencies in their respective jurisdictions. The West Kelowna RCMP has now opened a centralized file to capture information related to this fraud pattern.