Senior scammed out of thousands of dollars

March is Fraud Awareness Month, and one Calgary senior is taking the opportunity to share a story of why you can never let your guard down.

One of the top three scams in Canada is the so-called “emergency” or “grandparent” scam.

Victims received a panicked phone call from a relative in trouble asking for money.

“I was just beside myself that something should have happened to her,” says Marion Sailer.

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She received a phone call from a man claiming to be a lawyer from Montreal.

He told Marion her granddaughter had been in an accident and was in jail for driving without a license.

Marion was convinced to wire several thousand dollars to the man, to get her granddaughter out of jail.

Just a few days later, she learned it was a scam.

Police say it’s organized crime and hard to trace.

These criminals target people living in seniors homes.

If you get a call, always check with a relative before sending any money.

Officials say, if you’re asked to wire money for anything, it’s likely a scam.

Marion has reported the incident o police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Information on the Emergency/Grandparents Scam & other common scams:
http://www.phonebusters.com/english/recognizeit_emergency.html