Police Agencies Raise Awareness After A Dramatic Increase in Grandparent Scams

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are launching a fraud prevention campaign, February 6 to 10, 2023, to raise awareness about the significant increase in emergency-grandparent scams targeting Canadian seniors.

In 2022, the CAFC received fraud reports totalling a staggering $530 million in victim losses. This was nearly a 40 per cent increase from the 2021 unprecedented $380 million in losses.

Fraudsters target anyone and everyone, particularly the vulnerable and seniors. In 2022, more than $9.2 million was reported lost to emergency scams, according to the CAFC. This was a drastic increase from $2.4 million in 2021.

Reports from residents indicate the five provinces most impacted in 2022 were:

·      Ontario – over $5.4 million in reported losses;

·      Alberta – over $1.1 million in reported losses;

·      Quebec – over $732,000 in reported losses;

·      British Columbia – over $322,000 in reported losses;

·      Manitoba – over $313,000 in reported losses.

It is estimated that only 5-10 per cent of victims report scams and fraud to the CAFC or law enforcement.

What is an emergency scam?

Emergency scams, including variations called “grandparent scams”, use urgency and the manipulation of emotions to extort money from victims. In these scams, fraudsters cold call seniors, on landline phones, claiming to be a grandchild, family member, law enforcement officer or lawyer calling on behalf of their loved one. They’ll say that the person’s loved one was involved in an emergency situation, such as a collision, charged by law enforcement, legal peril, being sick or injured, etc. They demand the senior provide payment immediately for supposed bail, legal fees, fines or other amounts “owed” to stop the family member from going to jail or to get them released from custody. This is a scam.

The fraudsters isolate the victims by informing them that there is a court-imposed gag order, and they’re forbidden from discussing the matter. The victims are directed to attend their financial institution to withdraw the requested amount in cash. The fraudsters will then send someone to pick it up from the victim’s home or have the victim send the money via courier services. There have also been reports of victims paying with cryptocurrency.

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Quotes

“Fraudsters can be very convincing, whether using advanced techniques with new technology or going back to basics with just a script and a phone. While law enforcement and partners continue to work together to investigate and stop these criminals, we ask for the public’s help in connecting with the seniors in their lives, warning them about these scams and encouraging them to report any incidents. This one conversation could be life changing.”

Chris Lynam, Director General, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and National Cybercrime Coordination Centre

“Fraudsters prey on our emotions and our caring nature. By falsely claiming to be a loved one in trouble, scammers exploit our fears and defraud our seniors out of thousands of dollars everyday across this province. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to educate themselves and the seniors in their family about grandparent scams. The best protection against this type of fraud is awareness and education.”

Dominic Chong, Detective Superintendent, Director of Financial Crime Services, Anti-Rackets Branch & Serious Fraud Office, Ontario Provincial Police

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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

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