By Sara Moulton
Free Press Staff
Customers of at least one financial institution in Fernie are being advised to visit their local branch to change their personal identification number or replace their card as a precaution on their debit card accounts.
Reports of phone notifications on Monday, December 30 stated that automated messages from CIBC were recommending action in response to a fraud threat. At the time of publication, it is unclear whether the issue is locally centred or part of a larger scale threat. Representatives from CIBC were unable to be reached for further comment and the RCMP were not aware of any specific fraudulent activity in the area.
General advice to minimize the risk of debit card fraud includes following some simple steps when using your card to make transactions. Individuals should not lend their card to others or allow anyone else to know their PIN. Account history should be checked regularly through online banking or on monthly statements. If anything about a terminal or automated banking machine appears to be unusual, do not continue with the transaction and notify the merchant, institution or the RCMP of the concern.
Further advice can be found by clicking on the “Scams and Fraud” quick link at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca