Sixteen fraud charges approved against 26-year-old man after bank card fraud series investigation

Burnaby

2025-01-30 12:26 PST

File # 2024-5955

Sixteen fraud related charges have been approved against a 26-year-old man after a bank card fraud series investigation led by Burnaby RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST).

On February 29, 2024, Burnaby RCMP warned the public of a bank card scam which had recently victimized two seniors in Burnaby. In each instance, the victim received a call from someone advising they were from a bank and stating that the victim’s bank cards were compromised. The suspect then stated they would be sending bank staff to their residence to pick the cards up and investigate. Almost immediately, a suspect attended each residence in-person.

See original release: 2024-02-29

Linking this scam to several other reports, Burnaby RCMP’s POST assumed conduct of the investigation.

As a result of this investigation, on January 2, 2025, the BC Prosecution Service approved sixteen fraud related charges against 26-year-old Yeral Jauvin Varona.

Jauvin Varona now faces the following charges:

• 6 counts of identity theft
• 6 counts of fraud under $5,000
• 1 count of fraud over $5,000
• 2 counts of identity fraud
• 1 count of disguise face with intent

Jauvin Varona has strict court-imposed conditions.

While we’ve moved this investigation to the court system, it is important to note that this type of scam is still occurring in the Lower Mainland, said Cpl Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP. We are asking the public to share this information in an effort to reduce the likelihood of more people becoming victims of fraud.

Last week, Richmond RCMP issued a public alert, as this same scam is occurring in their jurisdiction.

See Richmond RCMP’s release: 2025-01-22

Tips to protect yourself

• Be wary of unsolicited calls, especially those requesting personal or financial information.
• If you receive a call claiming to be from your bank, ask for their internal reference or file number and call back using the number on your financial documents or their official website.
• Remove personal information from public platforms, such as social media and phone directories, that criminals may exploit.
• Never share your bank or credit card PIN with anyone.
• If you suspect your card has been compromised, contact your bank directly using the phone number listed on your card.
• Do not hand over your bank cards to anyone. Safely dispose of expired or compromised cards yourself.
• Replacement cards are never hand-delivered to your home. They are either mailed to you or sent to a local branch for pickup.

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, please report the incident to your local police of jurisdiction.

For more information, please visit Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Released by:

Email: burnaby_rcmp_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: burnaby.rcmp.ca

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