Grey Bruce OPP is bringing attention to emergency and grandparent scams as it marks March as Fraud Prevention Month.
Provincial Police say they have been seeing an increase in the number of calls for services regarding emergency and grandparent scams, which might consist of, “grandma, it’s me…I need help…please don’t tell anyone.”
OPP say each year, emergency scam artists contact thousands, with many of those getting scammed in their rush to help.
“Many victims are hesitant to say no or to hang up on someone on the phone, which makes them easy targets for criminals to access substantial sums of money,” say police.
In a typical emergency scam, OPP say the victim will receive a frantic phone call from someone claiming to be a grandchild or loved one. The caller will explain that they are involved in some sort of situation and need money right away.
Scammers know how to gather personal information for their cons, and also use phony social media accounts to find real names, interests, phone numbers, and when you are going to be at home or away.
Police add scammers will sometimes call in the middle of the night to take advantage of your confusion.
Some tips to be aware of when dealing with an emergency scam include:
-Urgency, the scammer always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim to not verify the story.
-Fear, the scammer plays on the victim’s emotions by generating a sense of fear. They may say something like, “I am scared and I need help from you.”
-Secrecy, the scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation, such as, “please don’t tell dead, he would be so mad.”
-Request for money transfer, money is usually requested to be sent by a money transfer company such as Money Gram, Western union or through your own bank.
Police say to avoid becoming a victim, check with another family member or trusted friend to verify the information before you send money or provide credit card information by phone or e-mail.
“It is vitally important that the incident be reported every time it occurs, to allow police to investigate and prevent others from becoming victims,” say police.
If you or anyone you know may have been the victim of an emergency scam, contact your local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.