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Fraud prevention campaign aims to curtail grandparent scams

The Ontario Provincial Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are launching a fraud prevention campaign that will target emergency-grandparent scams.
The Ontario Provincial Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are launching a fraud prevention campaign that will target emergency-grandparent scams. Photo by iStock /GETTY IMAGES

The Ontario Provincial Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are launching a fraud prevention campaign that will target emergency-grandparent scams.

In 2022, the CAFC received fraud reports totalling $530 million in victim losses, which is a 40% increase from the previous year.

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Fraudsters particularly like to target the vulnerable and seniors.

In 2022, more than $9.2 million was reported lost to emergency scams, according to the CAFC.

This was a increase from $2.4 million in 2021.

In Ontario, there were over $5.4 million in reported losses ib 2021.

Alberta reported over $1.1 million in reported losses and in Quebec there was over $732,000 in reported losses.

British Columbia reported over $322,000 in losses and in Manitoba there was over $313,000 in reported losses.

It is estimated that only five per cent to 10% of victims report scams and fraud.

“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,” the agencies said in a new release.

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“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 RCMP, CAFC and OPP will be raising awareness from Feb. 6 to Feb. 10 by posting social media tips and bulletins.

On Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. the OPP and CAFC will be hosting a live chat to discuss emergency-grandparent scams.

This live chat will be on the OPP’s Twitter and Facebook page.