An Burnaby, B.C., man in his 80s who was a previous victim of fraud escaped without further loss, after he was targeted once again by scammers last month.
In a media release, Burnaby RCMP said the fraudster pretended to be with the detachment’s Victim Services Unit, and claimed they could help the man recover money he lost last summer in a so-called “grandparent scam.”
The scammer even went so far as to provide the legitimate phone number for the Burnaby RCMP Victim Services unit as a callback number.
The quick-thinking senior realized the caller was a fraud when they were unable to provide proper identification, and he called police to report the incident.
“We would like to recognize this senior for identifying this as a scam and coming forward to police. We are continuing to investigate this file,” Cpl. Mike Kalanj said in the release.
“It’s disgusting to see a scammer posing as a Victim Services employee while trying to defraud this senior for a second time.”
Mounties said it was unfortunately not uncommon for scammers to target previous victims of fraud.
Burnaby RCMP said its Victim Services unit offers emotional support, assistance and service referrals to people who have been affected by crime.
The unit will never ask for money or offer to help victims recover cash, it added.
Anyone who receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to be police is advised to hang up right away and call their local police non-emergency line to report it.