RCMP warns of bank-impersonation fraud scheme

February 24, 2026 - Nanaimo, British Columbia
From: Nanaimo RCMP

Content

The Nanaimo RCMP is warning the public about a concerning fraud trend involving suspects who impersonate financial‑institution fraud departments. In a recent incident, a Nanaimo resident, lost approximately $24,000 to scammers claiming to represent the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

The victim told police they had received multiple phone calls and texts from what they believed to be an official RBC phone number. Some of the text messages contained security verification codes. Believing the messages were legitimate, the victim provided personal information to the caller. This information was then used by the scammer to access the victim’s accounts and complete fraudulent transactions.

Further investigation has determined the fraudulent transactions appear to have originated from an IP address located in another community. Police are following up with that jurisdiction.

RBC later confirmed that the bank will never ask customers to share verification codes with anyone over the phone, by text message, or by email. 

“Call spoofing is a technique commonly used by scammers to make recipients think that the caller is authentic. Do not trust caller ID. If you cannot verify who the caller is, hang up. Scammers can make things look and sound very real but protecting yourself is simpler than it seems. If anyone asks for a verification code, take a breath, hang up, and call your bank directly.” Said R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

The following tips are provided to help protect yourself and your money:

• Never share verification, one-time passcodes, or two-factor verification codes with anyone- Banks will never ask for these codes. If they do, it’s a SCAM
• Avoid clicking links or responding to unsolicited texts
• Hang up and call your bank directly by using a trusted phone number
• Monitor your accounts regularly 

If you accidentally provided personal information, call your local police department or the Canadian Anti- Fraud Centre at 1-800-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca 

Contacts