(NORTH HURON TWP, ON) On Monday August 18, 2014, a North Huron Twp resident contacted the Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and reported having fallen victim to the old “grandparent scamâ€Â.
A Huron County OPP officer met with the victim, who advised that she is an educated female in her fifties. She went on to explain that earlier in the day she received a phone call from a male stating to be her nephew. He told her that he was arrested for impaired and was in a “Drunk Tank†in New Brunswick. He sounded intoxicated while talking to her. A second male came on the phone advising he was a lawyer. The lawyer went on to explain that if she could send money right away, he would only have to pay the $1000. Insurance deductible for hitting the other car and her nephew would avoid a criminal record.
“The lawyer†gave instructions to purchase a Visa PAY POWER credit card for $1000. The female immediately purchased two $500 credit cards which she paid for using her own credit card. “The lawyer†called her back a short while later and she read the card numbers and the security numbers on the back of the cards back to him. He assured her he would take care of everything.
A few hours later the resident received a call from her “nephew†asking for more money. He spoke with a slight French accent. The resident became suspicious and asked for a picture of the nephew via his cell phone. When he said he couldn’t do this, she realized she had been scammed.
She contacted the Huron County OPP, but prior to an officer arriving at her home she got in contact with her real nephew who was alive and well in Alberta.
The Huron County OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are continuing their investigation into this incident.