Grandson Scam on the rise
Posted February 26, 2013 11:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD(NEWS1130)- One of the oldest frauds in the book almost cost a couple of seniors in the Fraser Valley a lot of money.
However, a sharp-eyed teller with a policing past prevented another Grandson Scam.
What happens is a person gets a call, usually a senior, and is told a family member is in serious trouble and money has to be wired immediately via Moneygram.
Kevin, who didn’t want his last name used, says it happened to his parents. “A very sad voice claiming to be their grandson who had been in an accident and had been arrested because of an altercation.”
He says they were asked to take $1000 dollars and wire it to an insurance company in Montreal, and that’s what it would take to get their grandson out.
Kevin says a second call came later from an individual claiming to be a public defender. “Although he wouldn’t give any information about himself. My parents in a panic went to the bank where the teller was a former RCMP officer who told them it was the third scam of the week.”
He says the teller implored this was fraud and asked that they do not send the money – which they didn’t.
Kevin says the scammer called back and asked if the money had been wired. “My mom had said they warned it was a fraud and the man quickly hung up.”
They pursued the case through the Abbotsford Police Department where they were given a fraud number.
Kevin says this is the time of the month seniors get their payment and scammers are out there.
He adds sadly, some seniors won’t eat next month if they get duped like this.
For more info on scams like these, check the RCMP website.
