Senior loses substantial amount of money as grandparent scammers strike again

RCMP say another victim in the Steinbach area lost a substantial amount of money on Wednesday through the Grandparent Scam.

According to police in Manitoba, the version of this scam which seems to be popular right now involves a criminal making a phone call to an elderly person and pretending to be a relative in need of financial assistance. The criminal will often say they have been arrested and need bail money. The caller then convinces the senior to pay a sum of money to an individual who will be swinging by their residence to collect the cash. The senior is made to believe that the money is necessary for their loved one to be released from prison.

Steinbach RCMP say they received two more complaints on Wednesday from seniors who had been targeted. 

"Unfortunately, one of the victims lost a substantial amount of money," says Sergeant Joanne Ryll.

Sergeant Ryll urges seniors who receive such a phone call to hang up and contact a family member to assist them in determining whether or not it is a scam. Another suggestion is for families to have a safety word that only close relatives will know. This can be useful in instances where the fraudsters recreate the voice of a family member in need. 

Sergeant Ryll says the fraudsters have been successful in obtaining victims' addresses in the Steinbach area and then attending their residences to pick up the money. 

"If they are successful then they will call back asking for more and making up an excuse why more is required," adds Sergeant Ryll. 

She notes it is very difficult for police to locate these fraudsters. 

If you sense a call is fraudulent, the best thing to do is to hang up and call both police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Police say it is important for both organizations to receive this information.