‘Grandparent’ scam resurfaces, Port Moody police send out warning

In just one day, the Port Moody Police Department says it received three separate reports of “grandparent” scams, totalling $12,000 in losses.

On Thursday, police say two scams were completed, and another attempted, by a suspect who would call an elderly person stating they were their grandchild and in need of money due for car repairs or being arrested.

Police say in the cases that were completed, the victim would get out money from the bank and then meet the suspect at their house to exchange money.

“We are notifying the public of these frauds in hopes of preventing further incidents,” Const. Sam Zacharias said. “We strongly encourage our community to engage with their elderly loved ones and have a conversation about this scam.”

Police add there have been other reports of a similar nature.

“In one instance last week, an elderly couple was defrauded $21,000 under very similar circumstances,” the PMPD explained.

If you receive a call from an unknown person, police are urging you to hang up and call police immediately.

This is just the latest warning from police in Metro Vancouver. In June last year, Mounties in Richmond warned that scammers may be using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter their voices in a new twist to “grandparent scams.”

The RCMP said the scam has become “more involved and far more sophisticated.” Corp. Adriana O’Malley says scammers are now likely using AI to make their voice sound more like a family member.

“As technology advances or changes, so do how fraudsters are applying it to their own frauds and scams,” she told CityNews. “Unfortunately, as artificial intelligence advances, we do believe it is being used or applied to take advantage of people.”