The Cobourg Police Service (CPS) reminds community members to be vigilant in protecting themselves against scams and frauds after receiving three reports of grandparent scams (also
called an emergency scam) in the last two days.
In one instance, a victim was defrauded of $9,000 after receiving a call advising that their grandson was in legal trouble and money was needed to assist.
This type of phone scam targets older adults and plays on emotional vulnerabilities using urgency to trick people into sending large amounts of money. In a grandparent scam, fraudsters may:
• Pose as a grandchild (or family member) in trouble and in need of money.
• Pose as a police officer or lawyer saying that a family member is sick, injured, or in jail and requires large amounts of money to solve their situation.
• Request money to be delivered to or picked up by an unknown person.
If you receive a call like this, police advise you to hang up immediately. The fraudster will make it sound urgent and pressure you to send money. In some cases, scammers will tell the victim not to tell anyone.
• Do not send any money or provide cash.
• Hang up and contact the family member in question directly.
• Ask questions only family members would know.
• Call someone you trust or the police for an opinion about the call you just received.
Take the time to talk to your family and friends about fraud prevention.
If you or a family member were a victim of fraud, please contact the CPS at 905-372-6821 or the law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction. If a scammer has contacted you or a family member, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at or by phone 1-888-495-8501 (toll free).
Please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website for a list of known scams, and to learn more about how to protect yourself.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
