The first six months of 2021 saw 457 reports of what the Financial Crimes Unit calls ‘grandparent scams’, resulting in more than $ 1 million in losses nationwide.
According to the Winnipeg Police Service, the scammers target older people and claim to be a grandchild or other family member who has been arrested and needs money for bail.
But scammers don’t stop pretending to be a relative, sometimes pretending to be a representative of a detained relative, such as a lawyer or a surety. Once the victim is duped and the money is secured, the scammer sends a courier to collect the money and even goes as far as to use ride-share drivers to collect the money.
Read more:
Suspect defrauded woman while posing as her grandson, Durham police say
The Winnipeg Police Service reminds the public to be very careful with any phone call that requires money, especially if it is needed immediately. If someone contacts you acting as a relative but you are unsure of the situation, please contact the relative separately or a trusted relative for confirmation. In some cases, families use keywords to confirm the identity and validity of a call.
It is important to remember that law enforcement agencies and other legal companies will never make urgent requests for money over the phone and you should never give personal information to someone with whom you have only spoken on the phone.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of fraud or scam, it is imperative report it to help you potentially recover any losses and help protect the community. Write down and keep all information about the scam, such as receipts, emails, and other communications.
Police say that even if you did not suffer any losses, but believe there was an attempt to scam you or someone you know, to report that it is the best way to keep you and the community safer.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Reference-globalnews.ca