Law enforcement is advising the public in Thunder Bay to be on guard against scammers who use distraction as a tool, and prey on people’s kindness at their own doorstep.
There has been an apparent spike in a theft known as the distraction scam, city police say.
The scam is theft combined with fraud. Typically, a would-be fraudster spots their victim at the checkout or self-checkout of a retailer and observes them using the PIN of their debit or credit card. Then, a short time later, the victim is distracted while their debit and credit cards are stolen by a seemingly expert pickpocket.
In one recent local case, a victim described being at a retailer in the 1000-block of Dawson Road when they were approached by a man. He asked the individual for instructions to the emergency department.
The interaction was short, and both victim and unidentified man went along their way.
In the time that it took the victim to travel to a retail store in the 600 block of River Street, the victim realized her cards had been stolen. By then, the fraudsters had already taken more than $7,100 from the victim.
The distraction scam is often executed by specialists who travel across the country, finding victims in one locale before quickly moving to the next.
Their requests for assistance will seem genuine and their ability to sift through your belongings right next to you…
