Nova Scotia RCMP are releasing photos of potential suspects in an ongoing investigation into scams targeting seniors.
The police agency said there were several incidents reported in the last few days in which victims were frauded out of cash, between $5,000 and $10,000 each.
RCMP ask for help in identifying two men taken and a 2019 Toyota Corolla that may be involved in fraudulent activity. Photos were taken by a surveillance camera
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“With these scams, victims are contacted by fraudsters pretending to be a relative in need of money. Often, the story is that the family member has been arrested and requires bail,” read the Wednesday release.
“The call is then usually taken over by another person pretending to be in a position of authority, such as a police officer or a lawyer, instructing the victim to provide this bail,” police said.
“The fraudsters then send a ‘bail bondsman’ to the victim’s address to collect the cash.”
RCMP want Nova Scotians to know that authorities in Canada do not solicit release of someone for money.
“Authorities in Canada do not come to your door for cash,” police said, adding that fraudsters can be very convincible and believable.
In the release, RCMP advised residents to slow down when receiving a similar call and contact relatives or authorities to help review the situation. They also recommend calling the relative in question, the one who allegedly said was in need of bail.
Police advise residents to not send money, gift cards, bitcoin or anything valuable in “urgent situations.” They also said that scammers can spoof phone numbers to make it seem like the call is coming from a trusted source on caller ID.
“If you have a feeling that something is not right, it is best to trust your gut and stop communicating with that person,” police said.
“If in doubt, hang up or delete and do not continue communication.”
RCMP said anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a scam to contact police or report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.