The Kamloops RCMP issued a warning to the public on Tuesday to watch out for email scams after reported attempts to defraud individuals of their banking information, including one that reached the RCMP media liaison himself.

Staff Sgt. Grant Learned said calls have come into the rural RCMP detachment to report the scam, which warns recipients that they're debit card will be cancelled if they don't provide their banking information.

"This scam comes around in different variations with a different pitch but it's all attempting to get the same information," said Learned.

"The bottom line is you should never, ever have to give your pin number to anyone."

Fraudsters can be uncanny in their ability to deceive. Learned said he received a scam email this week that looked like it came from an administrator within the RCMP. When he opened it, the letterhead was from a school district in Florida.

It's important to remember that legitimate financial institutions do not solicit this type of information, he said.

It's nearly impossible for police to investigate the source of the fraud, said Learned, so their best recourse is a public warning.

"Over the Internet, it's like trying to punch at shadows."