On December 9, 2014, Comox Valley R.C.M.P. warned the public to protect their P.I.N. numbers and their purses. The warning was issued after a string of robberies from Langford to Courtney B.C.
Two middle aged women believed to be involved with the robberies were captured on a bank’s video camera. They wore large shawls or scarves, which helped to conceal their faces and their actions. A clear still picture of one of the women can be viewed on the December 8, 2014, Nanaimo Daily News website www.nanaimodailynews.com.
The police believe that two suspects are working together, and are targeting elderly persons at bank ATM terminals. It appears that one of the women obtains the bank customer’s P.I.N number, by standing very close to the customer and viewing the numeric password over their shoulder. Then, the victim’s wallet is pick-pocketed. Once the pair have the victim’s card and the P.I.N. number, they go to the next nearest bank terminal and withdraw cash from the card.
One Nanaimo victim did not realize her wallet was gone until her credit card company alerted her to a large cash withdrawal from her account. Victims have lost as much as $1000 each.
Shoppers can protect themselves by remaining vigilant at ATM machines, by blocking their P.I.N. entries from view, and by keeping their wallets secure.
The police are appealing to potential witnesses, who can anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. No one has yet been arrested or charged in these incidents.
For more on this R.C.M.P. warning:
Jayne Embree M.A.
Divorce Coach and Child Specialist
Jayne holds a Masters in Psychology and is a highly experienced Divorce Coach and Child Specialist. Currently on sabbatical, Jayne is conducting research in the area of family dynamics and parental conflict.
Areas of Practice: Family law including separation, divorce, mediation, arbitration, child & spousal support, support variations, guardianship, parenting time, access, property division and more. Victoria BC