Irene Olsen of Westbank is out several hundred dollars and you might want to double check your bank statement.

A major debit card scheme has hit the Okanagan Valley and the number of victims keeps piling up.

Castanet first received word of the debit scam this week when a number of readers indicated that they had been ripped off after using their card at various businesses including Staples in Westbank.

Olson says she found out that her bank account had been compromised after trying to use her debit card.

"I tried to use my bank card and there was a hold on it, so I checked with my bank and they told me that it had been 'warmed', which means that something suspicious was happening. The bank then asked me to take a look at the latest withdrawals and I noticed there had been some in the hundreds of dollars. I knew they weren't my withdrawals."

Olson says the crooks made seven withdrawals from her account -- in the hundreds of dollars. They even took more than Olson's allowable daily limit and the transaction was okayed by her bank.

She has since been in touch with RCMP who say they're looking into it.

"The RCMP told me that they just don't know where the breach is."

Olson says police tell her that the scam is valley-wide. She adds that the illegal withdrawals from her account were made in Port Coquitlam, which is consistent with statements from other victims who have contacted Castanet.

Staples in Westbank acknowledges that its debit system has been compromised and has taken action to rectify the problem. Calls to head office in Markham, Ontario were not returned.

RCMP say they have received several complaints similar to Olsen's.

"We have received about 10 complaints in the past three days and a majority originating from the Westside," says Constable, Julie Rattee.

The Better Business Bureau of BC says that if you think your debit card has been compromised, you should call your bank right away.

"The first thing a consumer needs to do is report the situation ASAP to their financial institution, which will open a fraud file, and cancel the card," says spokesman, Kevin Rothwell.

"A report should also be made to RCMP, obviously a crime has occurred. In some cases of debit card fraud consumers may be asked to sign an affidavit, that's unlikely in a case involving multiple frauds at the same location over a short period of time."

Rothwell adds that banks will usually compensate fraud victims, but says that timing is everything.

"The Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Debit Card Services says consumers are not liable for losses resulting from circumstances beyond your control as long as you report the incident as soon as you are aware of the loss and cooperate in any subsequent investigation."

Interview with Irene Olson (Kelly Hayes)