A Metro Vancouver man says he fell victim to a coordinated theft and phone-fraud scheme at IKEA Coquitlam after his wallet was stolen while dining with his children at the store’s cafeteria.
The incident happened around 1 pm on Tuesday. The victim told TriCity Local News that his wallet, which contained two credit cards, his driver’s licence and his Costco card, was taken while he was eating. About 20 minutes later, he received a call from an 800 number that appeared to be from BMO’s fraud management department.
The caller claimed the bank had detected suspicious activity and that someone was trying to withdraw cash using his cards. They kept him on hold for more than an hour, including while he was speaking with IKEA security. During the call, the scammers instructed him to provide his card PIN so they could “forward it to Equifax to block the cards.”
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He complied, only to realize later that the caller was not from the bank. Multiple unauthorized transactions were made.
“It was only hours later that I realized the scam involved both the physical theft of my wallet and a sophisticated phone fraud,” he said. IKEA staff reviewed security footage with him and confirmed the theft. Staff also told him that similar incidents have been reported recently and provided him with an RCMP contact and a previous case number.
The victim’s police files are 25-29723 for the theft and 25-29724 for the fraud.
He said IKEA Coquitlam security showed him photos of suspects from previous cases and confirmed they have footage from his incident. He hopes investigators can identify a pattern in the recent reports.
In a statement to TriCity Local News, IKEA Canada confirmed that two similar incidents involving stolen wallets and attempts to compromise credit cards have been reported at the Coquitlam store in the past six months.
“We are cooperating with the appropriate authorities to the best of our ability. As this matter is currently under active police investigation, we are unable to share further details at this time,” said Alicia Carroll, public relations leader for IKEA Canada.
“At IKEA, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable shopping experience for all our customers and co-workers. We take security seriously and have measures in place to deter theft. We remind our customers to stay mindful of their personal belongings during their visit and to immediately reach out to a member of our team if they notice anything unusual.”
The victim is urging anyone visiting IKEA Coquitlam or other busy public places to be vigilant with their wallets, bags and phones.
