Antigonish County District and Inverness County District RCMP are asking the public for help identifying two people of interest in relation to reports of “pickpocket” and debit card scammers who are active at grocery stores and retailers in the Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury areas.
Investigators learned the scammers obtain victims’ debit card PIN numbers by watching shoppers complete transactions. Once the scammers know the PIN, they use a distraction to switch the bank card in the card machine or will pickpocket the victim as they are leaving the store or getting into their vehicle.
Surveillance photos of the persons of interest RCMP are looking for
To help protect your debit or credit card PIN and yourself, police suggest things like
• Cover the keypad:
• Check for skimmers:
• Avoid help from strangers when using an ATM or card machine.
• Use tap-to-pay or mobile wallets
• Review your statements regularly:
and • Enable alerts:
Anyone with information or who can identify individuals of interest is asked to call police at 902-863-6500. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.