Calgary senior warns of con artists using ‘grandparent scam’

CALGARY – A local senior is warning Calgarians not to fall for a scam that she herself was a victim of.

Margaret spoke to the media on Friday, after falling victim to a ‘grandparent scam’ – sometimes called an ‘emergency scam.’

She says she was called late on a Friday by a man pretending to be her grandson, saying he had gotten into trouble while on a trip to Montreal. Margaret’s ‘grandson’ begged her to send cash through a courier to help him return home.

“There were several things that were dubious, and I should have hung up then. I didn’t, because – as I explained to the detective – I’ve been the go-to person since my husband died in 1960 and I’m the one who gets everyone out of trouble, with money or whatever.”

Margaret sent the money, learning afterward it had been a scam.

“It’s all very carefully organized, and they’re very careful in their pitch.”

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Police have seen an increase in cases of the ‘grandparent scam’ in the past few months.

In 2014, they say 86 cases have been reported.

In each case, con artists have been contacting potential victims over the phone, posing as a family member or friend in urgent need of cash.

The caller goes on to say they are in some kind of trouble – such as being in a car accident, needing bail money or money to cover vehicle damages. The emphasis is on needing money and immediately.

“They try to catch you when you’re at your worst,” said Margaret, who admitted she was tired and worn out when she got the call.

Victims are convinced by the callers, and rushed into sending money because of an “emergency” only to find out afterwards they had been defrauded.

“They were quite snarky”

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Between August and November of this year, there have been a total of 45 cases amounting to approximately $74,000 being stolen.

Fortunately in many cases the money transfers were cancelled, otherwise this number would have been much larger.

“There is no rush,” says Det. Catherine Davidson, who urges people to try to get all the details before sending any money.

“Any legitimate place will wait…. There is never an urgency to send that money.”

Variations of this scam do exist, such as someone posing as an old neighbour or a friend of the family. Predominantly, however, the emergency scam is directed towards grandparents.

The Calgary Police Service suggests the following crime prevention tips:

• Do not feel pressure to respond to a request until you have a chance to verify the story.
• Never transfer money, or give out credit card or other financial information, until you can verify the person’s identity and the story, and determine whether it is legitimate.
• Ask the caller questions that only your family member would know the answer to.
• Ask for call back numbers in order to confirm the legitimacy of any call you receive.
• When it doubt, check it out. Verify the story with other friends or family members.
• Immediately report suspicious people to police.
For more information on this and other scams visit http://www.antifraudcentre.ca