RCMP Warns Nova Scotians of 'Bank Investigator' Gold Scam Involving Fake Police
The RCMP in Nova Scotia is warning residents about a fraud scheme in which scammers posing as bank employees convince victims to buy gold and hand it over to individuals pretending to be police officers.
The RCMP is urging Nova Scotians to be on alert for a new fraud scheme known as a "bank investigator" or "financial grooming" scam, in which victims are tricked into purchasing gold and surrendering it to people posing as police officers. 
In this scheme, scammers contact victims while pretending to be employees of a bank's fraud department. They claim the victim's money is at risk from foreign hackers. The victims are then instructed to use their savings and investments to purchase gold from legitimate online dealers in Canada.
Once the gold is purchased, victims are told to hand it over to someone posing as a police officer for safekeeping. According to the RCMP, the transfer often involves intermediaries hired by the scammer.
RCMP Corporal Mitch Thompson stated that authorities know of only one instance of this specific scam in Nova Scotia, though similar scams have occurred in Ontario. The fraud results in financial loss for victims and carries an emotional toll, including shame, which contributes to low reporting rates.
The RCMP emphasizes that no bank would tell a customer their money is safer without them, and real police do not take financial instruments for safekeeping. To verify an officer's identity, the RCMP notes that real police officers carry ID cards and badges with matching numbers and photos. Scammers may use fake badges but do not necessarily use fake uniforms or cars.