(NORFOLK COUNTY, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk County Detachment has received a complaint from a Norfolk County resident about the grandparent emergency scam.
On Saturday, February 1, 2014 the Norfolk County OPP was contacted by a concerned resident regarding a phone call that was received at their residence. The unknown caller indicated that they were a lawyer calling on behalf of their grandson and advised that he was in jail after becoming involved in a motor vehicle collision.
The caller further stated that their grandson was being held by police in the town of Delhi and requested that $7,242 dollars be sent through a money transfer service. The caller indicated that the funds needed to be sent in order to avoid criminal charges and for the release of their grandson. The funds were subsequently forwarded and police are reminding all Norfolk County residents to be extremely vigilant and to be alert for unsolicited calls, emails, faxes or visitors that arrive at your residence.
Modern, tech savvy, scammers have personal information about before they ever try to contact you. It is imperative to verify any unsolicited contact before you respond and provide information. Keep your guard up when you receive a surprise call from anyone soliciting funds and indicating that a loved one is in jail or have been involved in a serious incident.
You work hard for your money, so work hard to protect it. Do not hand it over to a smooth talking con artist. Fraud is a multi-billion dollar per year business that will only stop when the con artists stop making money.