TELEPHONE FRAUD TARGETING SENIOR CITIZENS
The Vancouver Police are reminding local seniors of a phone scam that prompted a public warning early last year after an elderly woman was defrauded of $10,000. While the number of cases have been drastically reduced since then, education about the scam and how it’s perpetrated is critical in reducing the numbers even more.
In all cases, the elderly victim is contacted by telephone. The suspect engages the person in a conversation, pretending to be a relative—often a “favourite grandchild”—needing money to get out of jail or, having been in an accident, needing to pay for damages of some kind. The senior is then emotionally pressured into sending $5,000 - $10,000 through a wire transfer to another location, often another city. The scammer often pleads with the grandparent not to tell anyone else and promises to repay the money as soon as they return home. Scammers may also involve other techniques such as having another scammer pose as a lawyer to add credibility to their stories.
Investigators believe that this scam is being operated by a group in Eastern Canada and the suspects may be obtaining personal information through Internet searches before calling.
This type of fraud is particularly disturbing as many seniors are on fixed incomes and are left financially crippled.
Prevention Tips:
Be cautious when giving out personal information over the phone;
Call a family member who can help you verify information, even if time seems to be of the essence;
If the "grandchild" claims to be in jail, find out which jail it is and verify the information with that jail;
Ask for a phone number to call the person back;
Be wary of a request to send money via money transfer.
Talk to elderly relatives about telephone scams and how they can protect themselves;
Report suspicious circumstances to your local police and PhoneBusters at www.phonebusters.com.
If you believe you, or someone you know, have been victimized by a scam like the one described above, contact your local police department.
Crime Alert Tip
Did you know that you can report some Vancouver crimes via the Internet? Visit https://vancouver.ca/citizenreport_wa/.
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