Scammers are posing as company bosses in a new strategy targeting local businesses, according to police.
The Vancouver Police Department received at least two reports of scammers, pretending to be company executives, calling business managers, department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said.
Callers, posing as chief executive officers or chief financial officers, say employees are being investigated for criminal activity, such as tax fraud, and the stores could close down if the managers don’t pay. The scammers then direct managers to empty cash registers, safes and other places cash is stored, put the money on Green Dot or pre-paid Visa cards, and give the scammers the card numbers.
“The businesses are losing thousands of dollars doing this,” Kapp said in an email. “This is one we have not seen before so business managers and employees need to be aware this is a new scam.”
Anyone who receives a similar suspicious call should verify its validity with a company executive or human resources representative.
