$9K demanded from Edmontonians targeted by 'grandparent scam': police
Two more people have been arrested by Edmonton police in connection to so-called grandparent scams.
In separate, unrelated incidents, two women in their 70s recently contacted police reporting they were called by someone pretending to be a nephew who had just been in a crash.
In both cases, the scammer said he needed $9,000 or more in cash to either be released from police custody or pay lawyer fees.
The scam is also known as the emergency scam, because the scammer pretends they have experienced an emergency.
The two women arrested and charged with fraud – aged 31 and 26 – were the people who went to the victims' houses to collect the money, police said.
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, representatives from the RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service gave more details about the cases.
While small details differentiated the two crimes, they shared common themes, police said.
HOW SCAMMERS CONTACT VICTIMS
In both cases, the scammer told the victim they urgently needed the money and pressured them not to tell anyone else, claiming they didn’t want to be embarrassed.
Police aren’t sure how or why the victims were targeted.
One theory they have is scammers will sell their lists of contacts to other scammers, including to people running a grandparent scam.
They might also be getting the information from a publicly available source, according to investigators.
“It could be as simple as who keeps their phone book anymore. Certain demographics just don't have numbers in the phone books, while seniors may still tend to have their home number in a publicly accessible place like that,” said Cpl. Sean Milne of the Alberta Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit.
However, police say anyone can be a victim of the scam and victims are often targeted again.
HUNDREDS OF SCAMS, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
Mounties say they have received more than 150 reports of the scam in Alberta in 2022 alone.
Money lost in the scams is rarely recovered, police said. The average loss is about $11,000, while the largest known instance was $87,000.
“It is life changing in many instances. These people are often seniors, often on a very fixed income, and to assist a family member they will go above and beyond,” said Milne.
“They can’t go get a job and just try to build that nest egg back up.”
The Edmonton Police Service has received 127 reports of the scam since January 2021.
The largest loss from a single victim was $30,000.
"Sadly, families have lost their family heirlooms, life savings, thinking that they were helping a family member in crisis," said Det. Pierre Lamire of the EPS' Investigative Response Team.
That in both of the recent cases a male person called the victims and a female person went to their homes can't be called a pattern, he added.
"It is our belief this is happening from a call centre in Ontario or Quebec and that they're possibly sending local people and transferring the funds over to these organized groups," Lamire said.
Both police organizations admit there are significant challenges to investigating grandparent scams.
Inmany cases, Lemire says it takes time for the victim to realize they’ve been scammed.
He also says the scammers operate across Canada, making it harder for local police to track them.
However, he added one person was charged in connection with six of the 127 cases reported in Edmonton.
Two people in Edmonton were arrested and charged with fraud in October in a similar scheme.
Police are offering the following reminders to help the public avoid becoming a victim of a scam:
- Bail is always paid in person at a courthouse or correctional centre
- Never send money to anyone you don’t know.
- If a person claims to be a police officer or judge, call that police service or court. house directly to confirm the situation – police and courts will never demand cash be picked up in person or mailed.
- Never give out personal information over the phone or online to someone you don’t know—the police or courts will not ask for personal information over the phone.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a grandparent scam should call the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or their local police department.
They should also call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.