RCMP officers in Melfort are turning to the public for help as they work to identify a suspect in an alleged “grandparent scam.”
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, grandparent scams involve a scammer contacting a victim – typically a senior – and pretending to be a relative who’s in trouble.
They will also sometimes impersonate law enforcement officials or lawyers and request money, claiming the funds are needed for bail, to pay for damage after a car accident, or to help a relative return from a foreign country.
The Mounties said that on Dec. 19 of last year, an elderly woman in Cornwall, Ont. was defrauded of a large sum of money by someone using a grandparent scam. Police determined the suspect is – or was – in the Melfort area, and released photos of the suspect in the hope that a member of the public can help identify her.
Police asked anyone who can help identify the suspect to make a report to the Melfort RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers.