Manitoba anti-fraud campaign targets older adults

Urgency, panic and fear are all characteristics of grandparent scams.

“Which often causes people to have a blocked sense of reality. They don’t know what to do. They freeze,” Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) Const. Dani McKinnon said.

It’s a scheme that impersonates familiar or authoritative voices and can con seniors out of thousands of dollars. It’s also a pressing issue in Manitoba.

The Canadian Anti Fraud Centre found that Manitobans 60 and over reported losing nearly $350,000 in 2024.

“These are under-reported. We get 5-10 per cent of what we actually think is happening out there,” WPS Insp. Jennifer McKinnon said.

0:44 Northern Manitoba seniors targeted in ‘grandparent scam,’ RCMP say

Now, the Manitoba government, WPS and seniors support services group A & O are trying to combat this serious issue by launching a new campaign.

“Just Hang Up is aimed at at protecting older adults from financial and emotionally devastating outcomes related to prevalent phone scams,” Dani McKinnon said.

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The Manitoba government provided $134,000 from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to fund this campaign.

“When in doubt about a phone call, just hang up,” Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said.

Carmen Nedohin, past chair of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, says she gets up to six scam emails and calls a day.

“Because I’ve seen them so many times, can distinguish between what is a scam and what is reality, but I know that isn’t always the case,” Nedohin said.

Nedohin and fellow seniors advocate Connie Newman encourage families to use a safe word for scam prevention.

“We did it with kids going to school. If someone comes to pick you up, they have to have a code word. It’s the same thing for older adults,” Newman, who is the executive director of Manitoba Association of Senior Communities, said.

As for those who might have been contacted by a potential frauded?

“We encourage you to report, even if there is no financial loss,” Dani McKinnon said.