News release - Collingwood and Huronia West OPP
Collingwood and Huronia West OPP, and Ottawa police, have arrested a male in relation to a fraud investigation related to the grandparent scam.
Investigation began when the victim was contacted by someone who identified themselves as a police officer reporting that their grandson had been arrested and being held for bail. The male posing as a police officer then asked for $8000 to be paid by the victim and advised he would send someone to the victim's home to collect the money. The male posing as a police officer provided a code to share with the individual collecting the money to ensure it was received by the correct person. As well the male posing as a police officer advised the victim that there was a 'gag order', commonly know as a publication ban, and that the victim could not speak to anyone about details of the case.
Shortly after the call, a male attended the victim's residence and collected the money. Later the same day, the victim received another call from a male who identified as a police officer advising they would require another $9,500 as a result of a judge's order however this time the money would have to be sent via courier to an address in Ottawa.
The victim felt this was suspicious and called police to report the incident which led to Ottawa Police Services being involved.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, a 24-year-old male from Montreal, Quebec, has been arrested and charges are pending.
Emergency Scams
(The Little Black Book of Scams, Competition Bureau Canada)
Emergency frauds, also known as the grandparent scam, usually target loving grandparents, taking advantage of their emotions to rob them of their money. The typical scam starts with the victim receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be their grandchild. The "grandchild" goes on to say they're in trouble-common misfortunes include having been in a car accident, charged with an offence or in legal peril, or trouble returning home from a foreign country-and they need money immediately.
The scammer will advise the victim that a payment for supposed bail, legal fees or fine is required immediately. If the victim agrees to pay the requested amount, the caller will ask the victim to send cash in the mail or through courier services. They'll also swear the victim to secrecy.
This deeply concerning trend has suspects obtaining the victim's address, and physically attending the residence to collect the funds, posing as a courier or representative of the court.
One variation of this ploy features two people on the phone, one pretending to be a grandchild and the other a police officer or lawyer. In other cases, the scammer will pretend to be an old neighbour or a family friend in trouble.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Take time to verify the story. Scammers are counting on you wanting to quickly help your loved one in an emergency.
- If you receive a suspicious phone call claiming to be from a family member in an emergency situation, hang up the phone and contact them directly.
- If the caller claims to be a law enforcement official, hang up and call your police directly.
- Ask the person on the phone questions that only your loved one would be able to answer and verify their identity before taking steps to help.
- Never send money to anyone you don't know and trust.
- Never give out any personal information to the caller.
- Be careful what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms and dating sites for targeting purposes. Suspects can easily gather names and details about your loved ones.
- Listen to that inner voice that is screaming at you: "This doesn't sound right."
- Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from (spoof) and make it appear as a trusted phone number.
If you know an elderly person, please reach out to them and have a conversation on what to do if they get a phone call like this.
For more information on this and other common scams in Canada, check out the Competition Bureau Canada's The Little Black Book of Scams: https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04333.html
For additional information on ongoing scams in Canada and to report fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact police.
Banner image - file photo - Barrie 360
