Senior targeted by scammers

Mission

2023-03-03 09:11 PST

File # 2023-1945

On February 18, an 86-year-old man from Mission reported to police that he had fallen victim to the Grandparent Scam, whereby he was tricked into paying thousands of dollars, which he thought he needed to do in order to help his grandson.

In a common form of this scam, the victim received a call from someone pretending to be his grandson, saying that he had been arrested and needed bail money to get out of jail.  The victim was then transferred over to a fake police officer, who sounded very professional and explained how the victim could pay the bail money.  Although this type of scam often involves the victim sending a wire transfer or mailing money to an address, this case was different.  Two men claiming to be plainclothes police officers walked up to the victim’s residence shortly after the phone call, and collected the money in person.  Shortly after paying the money, the victim realized that he had been scammed, and reported it to police.

This is a recurring scam that preys on some of the most kind-hearted people in our communities – our grandmothers and grandfathers, says Constable Harrison Mohr with Mission RCMP.  These scammers are well-prepared and ultimately very convincing, and target vulnerable people whose first concern is about the welfare of their grandchild, not considering the possibility that they are being scammed.   It’s important that we all spread the word about this scam, to help keep others safe.  Speak with your parents, your grandparents, your friends and your neighbours.  The more awareness there is about this scam, the fewer victims there will be.

No one has been arrested in this case, although the investigation is ongoing.

If you or someone you know has been scammed, report it to your local police (Mission RCMP: 604-826-7161).  If you are unsure of whether the person you are speaking with on the phone is a real police officer, hang up and call your local police detachment directly.  Attempted scams where no money was lost can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501, or via email to: info@antifraudcentre.ca

Released by

Cst. Harrison Mohr

Email: harrison.mohr@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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