submitted by OPP
Over the month of November 2023, older residents from East Region have been targeted by fraudsters using the “Grandparents Scam”. Some local community members filed reports this past week with the Grenville County Ontario Province Police (OPP) advising that they had lost money or were about to. Each time, the victims were told that they urgently needed to send money to assist a family member. If the victims did not have access to a vehicle, the scammers offered to send someone to collect the money at their homes.
If you have older family members, please speak to them about this and advise them to always call and check with family first or call the police if they have concerns.
Below are some of the warning signs:
- Urgency: The scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim not to verify the story.
- Fear: The scammer plays on the victim’s emotions by generating a sense of fear. For instance, they may say, “I am scared and I need help from you.”
- Secrecy: The scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation, such as, “Please don’t tell Dad, he would be so mad.”
- Request for money: Money can be requested by money transfer or in some cases, the scammer sends someone to your home to pick up the payment.
If you or someone you know may have been the victim of an “emergency” scam, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). You can also report the information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
FRAUD…Recognize it…Report it…Stop it.
