Manitoba RCMP say they’re investigating after a “grandparent scam” surfaced in the province’s north, with four reports from older adults in the Flin Flon area.
In two of the cases, police said, thousands of dollars were sent to the scammer, while a third was intercepted before the money could be lost.
The scams involve someone calling older victims and claiming to be either a family member or a lawyer, and requesting that money — urgently — be sent to an address outside Manitoba to help with “bail.” Some callers, RCMP said, also claim to be law enforcement and ask victims to pay a fine.
“It’s unfortunate that we have encountered more incidents where senior citizens have been the victim of these types of frauds,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Cavanagh of the RCMP’s cyber and financial crime unit.
“Fraudsters are constantly adapting these scams, seeking new ways to generate a sense of urgency and entice victims to help a family member in need.
“We don’t want to single out one part of the province, but seeing these calls take place in the northern part of the province is relatively new. The RCMP wants to remind the public that they should immediately report these crimes to the detachment in their area and to never send money.”
Police say anyone suspicious of a potential scam call should hang up and call police directly, and that Manitobans should be careful what they post online, as scammers can glean information from social media posts to target potential victims.
Anyone with information about a scam can call their local police detachment or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.