Retired Cop Engages With Scammers To Expose Them On Camera

The internet has become a playground for scammers and cheats as people share vast amounts of personal data on social media. Criminals can reach you from any part of the world to trick you out of your money.

In 2020, fraud attempts and financial losses climbed dramatically. Dave, a retired police officer well-versed in scams and their victims, is now making videos to help prevent people from falling prey to scams.

Dave answered a call from a number disguised as local. A voice with a foreign accent told him he was in trouble unless he spoke with a government agent about his social insurance number and bank account.

Dave played along with the scammer, pressed 1 to be connected, and confirmed his name. The caller pretended to be with the investigations department of Service Canada, claiming to have a file in front of him and pretending to confirm the fake information Dave provided.

Pretending to be “Robert Spencer,” Dave gave a postal code from another city and a number for the police in that area. The caller then claimed to have detected all manner of horrific crimes related to ten bank accounts in the name of Robert Spencer.

“Robert” pleaded his innocence, convincing the agent he was not connected with the crimes. The agent said he would speak with the police on Robert’s behalf to help him avoid the charges.

The agent pretended to speak with an officer from the local police, and then the fake police officer also spoke with “Robert.” Together, they informed him that his bank account was in jeopardy and his money needed to be moved to a secure government account. They claimed they would protect Robert’s money and return it to him the following day.

“Robert” knew that if he followed their instructions, he would never see or hear from the officers again. But anyone could believe the scammers and be tricked into thinking they were avoiding a scam or legal proceedings. These schemers prey on the naive and victimize those who are scared of falling into trouble or afraid of being defrauded.

The elderly and those with little or no understanding of the internet are easy targets. Dave advises everyone not to engage with these scammers, as innocent conversations can lead you to give out information that can be used to find you.

Dave says never to provide or confirm any information over the phone. If the call is legitimate, ask for a name and politely hang up.

Use a different phone to call the agency directly and verify the caller’s identity. Your bank and law enforcement will applaud you for your good sense and caution.

The retired police officer also advises you to look up the number yourself instead of dialing one provided by the caller. Sometimes scammers will hijack your phone, and your verification call to any number will be rerouted to them without your knowledge.

It has become easy to obtain your mobile or home number and find your name and address.

It is always best to refuse to provide any information or follow any instructions and hang up, as police will never call somebody on the phone to threaten arrest.

Your bank will never call and ask you to divulge information, and government agencies will not call you to help you secure your funds from scammers.

This is such important advice for Americans, as scammers target us most for their fraudulent schemes.