B.C. RCMP warns of ‘grandparent’ scams

Mounties in B.C. are warning locals about ongoing scams targeting seniors.

The Penticton RCMP says there has been an alarming increase in elderly people being scammed, sometimes out of thousands of dollars.

In what it calls a “grandparent” targeted phone scam, Mounties say scammers often pretend to be a grandchild or family member, and ask to be sent money under the guise of a “dangerous or urgent situation.”

‘It’s okay to say no and hang up’: RCMP 

“We’re seeing several seniors falling victim to this scam, and it usually involves quite a bit of money the seniors do not have in many cases,” Corp. James Grandy said.

“We’re wanting to urge the public, and specifically our senior population, to be aware that these people may be calling and that they just need to hang up.”

While he didn’t provide an exact number, Grandy says many seniors across the province have fallen victim to these types of scams.

“Some of these callers can be very emotional and very convincing,” he explained.

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To help prevent becoming a victim of the scam, Grandy recommends never giving out personal information like credit card and bank account numbers.

He adds these types of phone scams aren’t the most simple to solve either, as it can be “very difficult to narrow down who is making the call.”