Police in Saskatoon and Moose Jaw are warning the public about the so-called “grandparent scam,” which has been happening in both communities recently.
The scam involves a call to a usually elderly victim. The scammer will pretend to be a relative who is in trouble and in urgent need of financial help. The scammers will occasionally imitate a police officer, doctor or lawyer to help drive home the false sense of urgency they wish to instill in their victims before requesting payment, often in the form of untraceable cryptocurrency or gift cards.
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“Any legitimate authority would never make such requests,” the Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement.
“Police are encouraging families and friend groups, especially those consisting of older and/or vulnerable adults, to discuss fraudulent activity like Grandparent Scams to prevent victimization in our community.”
Saskatoon police also released a photo of a woman who is a person of interest in an investigation into one of the scams. Anyone who can help identify her was asked to contact the Saskatoon Police Service or Crime Stoppers.
Meanwhile in Moose Jaw, police said there have been several recent reports of the scam.
“In a recent incident, the scammer went to a victim’s house to collect the payment in person. If someone asks to come to your home to pick up payment, it’s a scam,” the police service said in a statement.
“If you become suspicious of the call, reach out to your grandchild or family member to verify the claims or requests. The Moose Jaw Police Service would like to remind the public not to provide personal information over the phone.”
Anyone who’s been a victim of a scam should report it to police. Any suspect scams can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The “grandparent scam” isn’t the only type of fraud that’s affecting Saskatchewan residents. This week, the RCMP said people in the province have lost more than $3.4 million to cyrptocurrency fraud since the start of the year.
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