Clearview woman loses $22,000 in 'The Grandparent Scam'
Provincial police say scammers are targetting seniors for thousands of dollars in what the OPP calls 'The Grandparent Scam.'
Huronia West OPP says one victim in Clearview Township was conned out of $22,000 when a call from someone claiming to be an RCMP officer advised her that her grandson was under arrest and needed money to be released.
The woman immediately agreed to do whatever she could to help her beloved grandson.
At first, police say the caller said it would take $10,000 to secure the man's release. The next morning, the caller informed the woman another $12,000 was needed for her grandson's freedom.
Police say that arrangements were made for someone to pick up the money at the woman's address in both instances.
According to provincial police, officers will never ask someone for money over the phone to have someone released from custody.
They say it's best to hang up on the caller and contact the police to report the situation.
Related Article: Police warn of 'Grandparent Scheme' targeting elderly women in Ontario
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FRAUD
Financial crimes involving seniors are especially cruel because they don't have the means to make up for their losses. Police say it's nearly impossible to recover money in these cases.
Here are some tips to protect yourself:
- Ask questions. Scammers rely on a quick response to having someone involved in an emergency and wouldn't typically know personal information.
- Call someone. Take the time to double-check the information by calling the parents, friends and family. Scammers often try to isolate their victim by saying action needs to happen immediately. Note this as a red flag.
- Never send money. Don't send money, gift cards, bitcoins, or provide credit card information to anyone you don't know and trust.
- Never provide personal information. Don't offer any information about yourself, including your address, banking information or family details.
- If in doubt, hang up. Call the organization through a publicly listed number to verify the request or contact your local police service for support.
Report fraud online or by calling 1-888-495-8501.
The investigation is ongoing in this case. Police ask anyone with information to contact the Huronia West OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.