(TEMAGAMI, ON) An 80-year-old Temagami senior is out $2000 after falling victim to the Grandparent or Emergency scam.
The victim received a call on November 18, 2013 at approximately 9:00 a.m. from a male claiming to be her grandson. He said he was involved in a motor vehicle collision out of the country.
The grandson reported that he needed assistance to pay for the damages caused in the collision. He assured his grandmother she would be paid back in full once the insurance company received the report. However, he has to pay the damages immediately!
The victim was given clear directions as to how to send the money via money gram. She sent the money only to find out later that her grandson was not behind the request.
Members of the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch say the Emergency Scam has been around for many years but it continues to reach across Ontario. The fact that seniors are hesitant to say ‘no’ or to hang up on someone on the phone makes them easy targets for criminals to access substantial sums of money.
In 2012, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 2,020 complaints of criminals using the Emergency Scam sometimes referred to as the Grandparent Scam in Canada. Of those, 506 people were identified as victims who reported a loss of more than $1.4 million. Police believe there are many more victims, but they are reluctant to report the crime, either out of embarrassment or not knowing how.
In a typical emergency” scam