Guelph Police are warning residents about a rise in banking fraud calls targeting seniors, where scammers convince victims to hand over their debit and credit cards to a person who comes to their door. The police service issued the warning on August 28, 2026 after receiving multiple reports from across the city.
The scam typically starts with a phone call from someone claiming to be from a bank or credit bureau. The caller tells the victim there is suspicious activity on their account. They sound professional and polite, and ask the victim to gather all their debit and credit cards. Then, the victim is told to give the card number, name, and PIN for each card over the phone.
While the victim is still on the line, a courier arrives at the home to collect the physical cards. The courier provides the same name and a verification code supplied by the original caller. Police say the suspects then use the stolen cards to make thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals.
This is not the first time Guelph seniors have been targeted this way. In July 2025, three Guelph residents in their 90s handed over their bank and credit cards to someone they thought was a courier for their bank. In one of those cases, $5,000 was taken from a victim’s account. In March 2026, an elderly Guelph man lost nearly $20,000 after a similar scam, including $17,000 in purchases and $2,500 in cash withdrawals.
In April 2026, Guelph Police arrested a 26-year-old Guelph man in connection with similar bank investigator scams targeting seniors. He was charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and seven counts of unauthorized use of a credit card.
The problem extends well beyond Guelph. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians reported losses of more than $28 million from bank investigator fraud in 2025. According to the CAFC’s 2024 annual statistics report, adults aged 60 and older accounted for about 28 percent of total fraud dollar losses nationally, with an average loss of $21,604 per incident.
Guelph Police urge anyone who receives a suspicious call to hang up and contact their bank directly using the phone number on the back of their card. Banks will never ask for your PIN or send someone to your home to collect your cards. Police also ask residents to share this warning with elderly friends and family members. Anyone who has been a victim of this scam is asked to call Guelph Police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
