Regional police warn residents of ‘grandparent scam’

By Karis Mapp

Waterloo Regional Police have issued a warning to members of the public to be wary of the grandparent scam.

According to the service, fraudsters are attempting to scam older adults by pretending to be their grandchild or someone they know in distress. Normally, the scammers pose as a relative from a distant location and say they are in need of money due to trouble. For example, they will state that they were involved in a collision or arrested by police.

The caller will then ask for money to be sent via courier, wire transfer or gift card to assist them.

Recently, an instance involved an 89-year-old Cambridge resident. The fraudster called and claimed to be their grandson. The scammer had said they were in a car crash in Montreal and needed $3,000 to pay the other driver.

Luckily, police were able to recover the victim's money but they still suffered a financial loss.

In order to protect yourself and others from this scam, police are advising residents do not get flustered. The scammer will make it sound urgent to pressure you.

They are also advising the public not to confirm any personal or financial information.

Verify who is calling by offering to call back using the phone number you have for that person.

Call someone you trust or police for an opinion about the call – scammers will say they don't want anyone to know because they are embarrassed.

Do not send any money.

If you believe you have been a victim of a similar scam, a complaint can be filed with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777.

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