Manhunt underway for telephone bank fraud suspect in Clarington, Oshawa

A manhunt is underway for an unidentified man believed to be involved in multiple bank frauds.

In one such incident, an elderly woman received a phone call on Sept. 24 from a man who claimed to work for her bank. He claimed there were fraudulent charges on her debit and credit cards and that her accounts were therefore compromised.

The caller collected personal details from the woman and said she needed to provide him with her bank PIN. He then told her a courier would come to her home to collect the cards. He led the victim to believe new cards would arrive the next day.

A second man soon arrived at the woman’s house while she was still on the phone with the caller. He collected the woman’s debit and credit card and then told her to stay on the phone due to technical difficulties.

As soon as the man left, transactions began to pile up on the cards. The man seen collecting the cards was captured on security cameras in Bowmanville, Courtice and Oshawa in businesses the purchases were made.

Investigators describe him as a 35 to 50-year-old brown man standing about six feet tall. He’s bald and has a heavy build and a full black beard. He was wearing a florescent construction vest, a black jacket, a dark t-shirt, a long-sleeved teal sweater, blue jeans, and black running shoes.

Anyone with information can call police at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5371 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

“Banking institutions will never ask for your pin number over the phone or offer courier services to pick up debit/credit cards.  If you receive a call from your bank and are unsure if it’s legitimate, contact your bank directly or attend a branch in person,” Durham Police said.

“Please be aware of this scam as well as all other common scams,” they continued, “Knowledge is the key to staying safe and in control. Spreading this information to loved ones and friends is your number one tool for prevention and safety.”