(SOUTH HURON, ON) – An 81 year old grandmother from Exeter is out $7,500 after falling victim to a common scam known as the “Grandparent/Emergency Scamâ€. On February 20, 2014 Huron County Ontario Provincial Police received information from a Canada Post employee that became suspicious of two international wire transfers that were made on consecutive days last week for the same amount of $3,800.
The scam followed a very similar script. The victim received a phone call at home from the scammers purporting to be her grandson. The scammer stated he had been involved in a car accident in the Dominican Republic and needed $3800 to avoid going to jail. He also claimed that he had an injury to his mouth from the collision in effort to explain why his voice sounded muffled over the phone.
The “grandson†instructed the victim to wire the funds and to not tell anyone about it. If anyone asked her any questions she was to inform them it was a personal matter. The victim followed the instructions and sent $3800 to the scammer through a popular wire transfer service. The following day she was contacted again and the scammer told her the money didn’t make it through. She was instructed to go to a different town to complete the wire transfer. The victim returned to Canada Post and proceeded to wire another $3800 to the scammer located in the Dominican Republic.
After the money was long gone her grandson was contacted and he advised he hadn’t left Ontario.
Sometimes you may get a call from two people, one pretending to be your grandchild and the other pretending to be either a police officer or a lawyer.
Protect yourself. Remember, scammers are counting on the fact that you will want to act quickly to help your loved ones in an emergency.
Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify the person’s identity before you take any steps to help. Scammers want you to keep things confidential; this should raise your suspicions.
Don’t give out any personal information to the caller.
Investigate by asking the person questions that only your loved one would be able to answer. Verify the story. Ask yourself, does the caller’s story make sense?
Educate your relatives, friends, and neighbours about this scam. Prevention is the key.
What should I do if I have been scammed? You should report the matter immediately to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca
Alternatively you can contact the Huron OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or (519) 524-1074.