THUNDER BAY — A Thunder Bay resident victimized by a "distraction scam" learned how quickly fraudulent charges can be made on a stolen credit card.
Police are using the incident to warn the public to stay aware of what's going on during interactions with strangers.
Typically, a fraudster will spot a victim at the checkout or self-checkout of a retailer and observe them using the PIN of their debit or credit card.
The victim is then distracted while their cards are stolen by an expert pickpocket.
This happened recently at an establishment in the 1000 block of Dawson Road, in the County Fair area, where a woman was approached by a man asking for directions to the hospital emergency department.
After just a short interaction, the victim and the stranger went their separate ways.
By the time the woman had travelled to a retailer in the Grandview Mall area on River Street, where she realized her cards were missing, more than $7,100 in charges had already been made against her cards.
Thunder Bay police said the distraction scam is often executed by specialists who travel across the country, finding victims in one city before moving on to the next.
"Their requests for assistance will seem incredibly genuine, and their ability to sift through your belongings right next to you while going unnoticed could fool even the most observant person," police said in a news release Tuesday.
Police advise concealing your PIN as best you can whenever using a credit or debit card.
They also caution that carrying a wallet in your hip pocket or leaving your purse in a shopping cart carries risks.
