The grandparent scam has surfaced again in our region.
An 81-year-old woman from Exeter is out $7,500.
The Huron County OPP was contacted by a Canada Post employee last Thursday about two suspicious international wire transfers made back-to-back.
Each transfer was for $3,800.
The scam followed a very similar script.
The victim received a phone call at home from the scammers claiming to be her grandson.
The scammer stated he had been involved in a car accident in the Dominican Republic and needed $3800 to avoid going to jail.
He also claimed that he had an injury to his mouth from the collision in effort to explain why his voice sounded muffled over the phone.
The “grandson” instructed the victim to wire the funds and to not tell anyone about it.
After the money was long gone her grandson was contacted and told her he hadn’t left Ontario.
Police urge people to protect themselves.
Scammers are counting on the fact that you will want to act quickly to help your loved ones in an emergency.
- Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify the person’s identity before you take any steps to help. Scammers want you to keep things confidential; this should raise your suspicions.
- Don’t give out any personal information to the caller.
- Investigate by asking the person questions that only your loved one would be able to answer. Verify the story. Ask yourself, does the caller’s story make sense?
If you are the victim of a scam, report the matter immediately to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca
You can also contact the Huron OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or (519) 524-1074.