Grandparent or emergency scams are common scams that target loving grandparents, taking advantage of their emotions to rob them of their money says the OPP.
Fraudsters are targeting seniors by calling and pretending to be a family member in distress, the police or a justice official claiming that a loved one or grandchild is in trouble and needs money immediately. In other cases, the scammer will pretend to be an old neighbour or a family friend in trouble. Common misfortunes include having been in a car accident, getting locked up in jail, or having trouble returning home from a foreign country.
The caller will ask you questions, getting you to reveal personal information. They'll also swear you to secrecy, saying that they are embarrassed and don't want other family members to find out what's happened.
A scam call commonly starts as follows:
Victim: Hello?
Suspect: Hi Grandma/Nonna/Oma (depending on last name on Canada411 or potential victim accent).
Victim: Johnny? Is that you?
Suspect: Yes, it's Johnny. Grandma, my voice sounds different because I have a cold. Grandma, can you keep a secret? I really don't want my parents to know. I'm so scared and I need help.
Victim: Ok... What's going on? Are you okay?
Suspect: My friend picked me up to take me to the store and we were in his brother's car… (story about a car accident or other misfortune) and now I'm in jail and they won't let me out…
If you receive a suspicious call, remember:
- Be suspicious of calls that require immediate action. Hang up and contact the family member directly.
- The caller either doesn't provide a normal jail location for the area if asked or mistakes the local police service. Call the non-emergency number of the police service to verify the story or confirm the name and badge number of the officer calling.
- When at the bank, tell the truth about why you're taking out large sums of cash as bank tellers are very familiar with scams.
- The courts won't ask for cash to bail out someone in custody and will require people to be present in court.
- Never send cash, cryptocurrencies or any other funds to unknown persons, unverified addresses or bank accounts.
- Take time to verify the story by asking the caller a few personal questions or pressing your caller for details. Scammers are counting on you wanting to quickly help your loved one in an emergency.
If you believe you have been scammed, contact your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifruadcentre.ca.
