Police across the province are warning and educating Albertans of a phone scam that is targeting seniors by pretending to be loved ones in need.
During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, police from Alberta RCMP, the Edmonton Police Service and Calgary Police Service spoke to the “grandparent scam” or “emergency scam” that has taken approximately $3.5 million from seniors across the province in 2022.
The scam targets seniors by calling them, saying someone they love — most often a grandchild or niece/nephew — is in danger or needs help and to send money.
The callers have two things in common, police said: one is a sense of urgency and that they need the money right away for their safety; and the second is that the victim cannot tell anyone what’s going on, said Cpl. Sean Milne with the RCMP’s federal serious and organized crime unit.
By always asking for cash, they are raising less suspicion as to what they claim the money is meant for, explained Milne.
One way police believe they are gathering information on seniors is by finding clues on social media. They are also checking to see who still lists their names in the phone book.
“There’s a lot of random chance involved, but they do do research and do exchange information,” said Milne.
Provincial and municipal police have received hundreds of reports of these scams. However, fraud is still largely unreported.
There have been 127 cases reported to EPS since January 2021, with only six arrests made so far, Lemier said, because these take a lot of time.
But people are typically charged with number accounts of fraud at once, he said. Meaning they’re involved in more than one of these cases.
The EPS announced Wednesday morning that two more people (now part of the six) were arrested and charged in relation to the scam by allegedly acting as couriers picking up money from victims.
On Oct. 3, a 74-year-old woman received one of these calls. The person on the other end claimed to be her nephew and said he had been in a collision and needed $9,800 to be released from custody.
The impersonator told the lady not to speak to anyone and was told how to send the money via an alleged “court courier,” police said.
Christy Carlson, 31, was the one who allegedly showed up at the lady’s house to collect the money. She was charged with fraud over $5,000 on Nov. 30.
The second incident took place a few days before on Sept. 28 when a 76-year-old woman received a phone call from someone again claiming to be her nephew who had been in a collision.
Another person pretended to be a lawyer, telling the woman she needed to send $9,000 so her nephew could be released. Again, the money was to be sent by “court courier.”
In this case, 26-year-old Salena Harris allegedly arrived to pick up the money. She was arrested and charged on Dec. 1 for fraud over $5,000.
These targeted seniors, in incidences, are putting themselves in debt, remortgaging their homes and giving away family heirlooms, which leaves them in a very vulnerable situation.
Police warned that an individual will never be the one to call to request bail money, and that such funds can only be paid in person at the courthouse or correctional centre.
These funds will also never be paid via transfer, to another account, with gift cards or cheques.
Police added that anyone who is being asked for money over the phone should always contact their loved one independently before sending any money.