The Lethbridge Police Service is advising of a new type of phone scam. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

LPS warns of “delayed disconnect” phone scam after woman loses $20K

Jan 15, 2024 | 9:21 AM

The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) is warning the public about a new type of phone scam.

They explain that it is called a delayed disconnect, where scammers take advantage of the fact that, in Canada, there can be a delay between when someone hangs up on a phone call and when the call actually disengages.

This, according to police, resulted in a 79-year-old woman being defrauded out of approximately $20,000.

On January 9, 2024, LPS said the victim encountered ransomware that had locked her computer. She called what she believed to be the Microsoft support line, but it turned out to be a scammer.

The fraudster had directed the woman to phone the number on the back of her card.

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“After hanging up her landline to call, the line was not disconnected and someone pretending to be a bank representative told her that her account had been compromised. They then convinced her to withdraw money and put it into a Bitcoin machine,” reads a media release from LPS.

The police service is asking the public to be aware of this scam and to share this information with their loved ones. Some ways you can protect yourself from delayed disconnect scams include:

• Don’t give out information, such as the name of your banking institution on incoming calls
• Hang up and wait at least one minute before making a new call. This will ensure that the first call clears from your line.
• If possible, make the next phone call on a different line, such as your cell phone

Anyone who believes they have fallen victim to this scam is asked to phone their local police.