Nova Scotia RCMP warn of Amazon scam, officer impersonation

An RCMP patch is seen during a news conference in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The public is being warned of a scam involving fake suspicious activity on their Amazon account and the impersonation of a police officer.

Nova Scotia RCMP said the investigation began after a Lawrencetown area resident received a call last Thursday from someone claiming to be a security representative from Amazon. Police said the victim was told there was suspicious activity on their account and was then transferred to another person claiming to be from a law enforcement agency.

The person was then told RCMP was investigating the “unusual transactions.” They were also provided with the phone number for Nova Scotia RCMP headquarters, as well as a fake name for a police officer who was supposedly working on the file.

Police said the victim was told to withdraw money and give it to an undercover RCMP officer who would show up to collect it. Later that evening, a man arrived at the victim’s residence to get the money.

Police said the suspect is described as being in his mid-30s with light curly hair. He was driving a black Ford Fusion with a New Brunswick licence plate.

The RCMP is asking anyone with information to contact police at 902-490-5020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Tips on identifying a scam

According to Amazon, there are a number of ways to identify an impersonation scam.

This type of scam occurs when the scammer pretends to be a trustworthy organization or person in order to steal money or personal information by phone, email, text or through social media.

It said some red flags which could indicate an impersonation scam include:

1. False urgency
2. Asking for personal information
3. Purchases outside of Amazon
4. Payment via gift cards
5. Unexpected order

Amazon said to review your order history. It also said people can report suspicious messages.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.