NEW TECUMSETH — Provincial police have launched a fraud investigation after two people were bilked out of a combined $5,400 on Sunday.
Nottawasaga OPP is looking for the public's help to identify three individuals involved.
On Jan. 5, 2025, between the hours of 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., police say officers responded to two fraud incidents at the CIBC bank located at 35 Young St., in Alliston, where the victim lost $1,600, and the CIBC bank located at 55 Queen St. S., in Tottenham, where the victim lost $3,800.
"Video surveillance shows that the victims appear to be completing their transactions at an ATM, going to leave the premises and are then called back by the suspect a which time, they tell he victim that their transaction hasn't completed and therefore they can't use the ATM," OPP stated in a news release.
"The suspect will attempt to demonstrate the problem to the victim by putting an unidentified card in the machine that then shows an error," police say. "The suspects then physically take the card out of the victim's hand, puts it partially into the ATM, hits cancel and then hands them back what they think is their card, but in reality is someone else's, or possibly a fake card."
The real card is then used to withdraw money from the victim's bank account and, in the case of the occurrence in Tottenham, police say the card was also used to to purchase several prepaid credit cards at local retailers.
Video surveillance also appears that the male subject removes one of the shields intended to help hide a PIN number, and then observes the PIN entry over the victim's shoulder, according to the OPP release.
Officers are looking to identify the individuals involved.
Anyone with information is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Case reference numbers are E250018227 and E250018291.
Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online.
