Police in Saint John have arrested four people allegedly involved in a scam targeting senior citizens in the area.
The “grandparent scam” involved people posing as lawyers, police officers and clergy, calling seniors to say “their grandchildren were either in an accident or in jail requiring cash to help them.”
Police said they received reports of incidents on Monday afternoon and stopped the suspects in two separate cases. The group was also reported to be in the Fredericton area.
They arrested four people, including a 19-year-old, a 21-year-old, 23-year-old and a 43-year-old, all of which are being held in custody.
Police say they want to raise awareness of similar scams.
“The Saint John Police would like friends or family members to reach out to seniors that they know and notify them of this scam,” read the release.
Those who receive a call of this nature are instructed to hang up and call their family member. If the caller identifies as a police officer, people should hang up and call the local police to confirm legitimacy.