Across the country, police and fraud prevention experts are warning Canadians to be on the lookout for reports of “grandparent scams” targeting seniors on the rise.
In 2021, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center received reports of 379 cases involving 115 victims, with more than $1.7 million in losses. But since the beginning of 2022, the center says there have been 674 cases involving 273 victims and resulting in $2.7 million in losses.
“We’re seeing almost twice as many reports, and we’re a little over halfway through the year. So it’s very alarming,” Jeff Horncastle, the center’s interim customer and communications officer, told CTVNews.ca. a phone interview on Friday.
Police Canada and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center say these scams, also known as emergency scamsThey typically involve a scammer posing as a victim’s grandson, niece, or nephew over the phone, claiming they urgently need money after an arrest or accident.
“Fraudsters will do a lot of research on social media,” Horncastle said. “There is so much information available online that in many cases suspects may have a grandchild’s name when they call.”
Police across Canada say the scammer will often sound distraught and start crying. The scammer can then change their voice or hand over the phone to another scammer to pose as a police officer, bail bondsman or attorney as part of the operation.
Horncastle says payment is usually required in cash, although scammers may sometimes request a wire transfer or direct deposit payment. If the victim agrees to pay, Horncastle explains that the scammer will usually arrange for someone to come to the victim’s home to collect the money, but may also request that the cash be mailed.
In the Vancouver area, an 80-year-old man lost $16,000 last weekwhile a 76-year-old woman finished lose your life savings of $30,000 in a separate incident.
Winnipeg police said Thursday there have been at least 15 reports of grandparent scams in the last six days, resulting in $100,000 in losses.
Similar scams have also targeted victims across Ontarioof Sault Ste. Mary a Essex County. Ottawa police last week He said they have received reports of 20 people in the past seven days who have been scammed between $10,000 and $30,000. In March, Toronto police said 80 seniors have been scammed out of a total of $1.1 million since March 2021.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES
If you get a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a family member, Horncastle says you should hang up and contact that family member “directly on the number you have for them.”
The same advice applies if the caller claims to be a law enforcement officer. Horncastle says that she should hang up and call the local police service to verify the legitimacy of the call.
“A lot of times, if you listen to that instinct, that voice in your head that tells you it doesn’t sound right, usually that instinct is correct,” he said.
Even if the number displayed on caller ID looks correct, Horncastle warns that scammers can use caller ID spoofing to make it appear that the call is coming from a legitimate police phone number.
“It’s always best to make the outgoing call yourself,” he said.
Police across Canada are also urging Canadians to warn their elderly loved ones to be on the lookout for these scams.
“It’s important to have these conversations, whether it’s with your parents, your grandparents. If this is someone close to you who is an older person who may not be directly related, have this conversation with them,” Const. Jay Murray of the Winnipeg Police Service during a news conference Thursday.
Law enforcement agencies also point out that, unlike the United States, Canada does not have a cash bail system and instead relies on guarantees, meaning cash is not required up front to get an accused person out of detention. .
If you believe you are or have been a victim of fraud, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center says you should contact your local police and call the center at 1-888-495-8501 or file a report through the federal police. Fraud Complaint System.
Archived from CTV News Winnipeg, CTV News Vancouver, CTV News Ottawa, CTV News Toronto and CTV News Northern Ontario.