Residents in Windsor, Ontario, who tried to help a stranger pay for a food delivery instead had their debit cards swapped and used for unauthorized transactions, police say.
Three reported incidents caused combined losses of more than C$4,000, according to the Windsor Police Service’s October 2 warning.
Police renewed their request for help identifying two suspects in a November 6 public appeal. Investigators released surveillance images after obtaining footage of people attempting to use one of the stolen cards at an ATM.
A Cash Offer Led Victims to a Fake Delivery Driver
View this post on Instagram
The approach began with a woman asking people in parking lots to help pay for a food-delivery order. She claimed she had only cash and needed someone to use a debit card, offering cash in exchange for covering the payment.
A second person posed as the delivery driver. The victim was asked to insert a debit card into a mobile payment terminal and enter their personal identification number, or PIN.
Const. Bianca Jackson explained in the department’s November 6 video that the supposed driver then exchanged the victim’s card for a similar-looking one. Police said the original card was subsequently used elsewhere with the PIN obtained during the transaction.
The October warning also said victims received fraudulent receipts after the transactions.
ATM Surveillance Gives Police Two Suspects to Identify
Police described one suspect as an East Indian man, approximately 20 to 25 years old, and the other as a Black woman in the same age range.
The November appeal identifies the investigation as police incident 26-89778. Anyone who recognizes the people pictured or has information about the scam can contact the Windsor Police Financial Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700, extension 4330.
Check the Returned Card and Dispute Unauthorized Transactions
Windsor police advise checking that the card returned after a transaction is actually yours. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada also recommends keeping your card in sight and shielding the keypad when entering your PIN.
If you discover a substituted card or suspicious transactions, contact the issuing financial institution immediately to report the theft and secure the account. Change a compromised PIN, review recent activity and preserve receipts and other records that could help the bank and police investigate.
For customers of federally regulated Canadian financial institutions, the FCAC says use of the correct PIN alone does not establish responsibility for an unauthorized transaction. The institution must fully investigate the dispute and consider the circumstances surrounding the card’s unauthorized use.