Thunder Bay Police are asking to public to remain vigilant and to reach out to vulnerable friends and family who could fall prey to the ‘Grandparent Scam’.
The grandparent scam is relatively common. Typically, the would-be victim is contacted by a fraudster pretending to be their grandchild. The scammer tells the victim they’ve been arrested, or detained after a motor vehicle accident, and require money to post bail.
Police say they received multiple complaints on November 22nd from resident each sharing stories about a relative being involved in a collision with a “pregnant woman” and face possible civil or criminal consequences. The scammers might have personal details about the victim or the person they are pretending to be.
These fraudsters are often experts at creating a sense of urgency and panic. If asked why they don’t sound like the target’s grandchild, the fraudster will often attribute it to an injury like a broken nose.
Acadia News has received several phone calls from family members of those targeted, detailing that the scammers have information including names and locations of a child or grandchild which the scammers claim had been involved in an incident and require bail money. One caller stated their mother was almost scammed out of 8 thousand dollars.
If you are contacted by a suspected scammer, please remember that the best way to avoid being victimized is to hang up the phone. You can then attempt to reach the family member alleged to be in trouble on your own terms to verify the story.
The fraudster may attempt to dissuade a victim from doing this by claiming the money is required immediately. This is a common tactic to prevent victims from practicing due diligence, and should be viewed as strong evidence that a scam is taking place
To learn more about frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre here: https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
Follow