86-year-old Vancouver woman taken for $10,000
Suspect in Montreal cashing money sent by 86-year-old woman in Vancouver.
VANCOUVER – An elderly Vancouver woman fell for the so-called grandparent scam and sent out $10,000 of her hard earned money to a total stranger thinking she was giving it to her grandson.
Police said the money was collected by a con-artist living in Montreal. Police also warn that elderly people are falling victim to this scam at an alarming rate.
“Police are warning the public about a recent increase in phone scams targeting the elderly. In the past several months the VPD Financial Crime section has received more than ten reports of similar frauds,” said Vancouver Police spokeswoman Const. Anne Longley.
“In all cases, the elderly victim is contacted by telephone and the suspect engages the person in a conversation pretending to be a relative needing money to get out of jail,” she said.
“The senior is then pressured into giving $5000 – $10000 and to send the money through a wire transfer. The funds are picked up by the suspects in Toronto or Montreal,” she said.
“Recently an 86-year-old Vancouver woman was defrauded of $10,000 to purportedly get her grandson out of jail in Toronto,” she said.
“The suspect convinced her not to tell anyone about the phone calls and cash transfers. After receiving a 3rd phone call requesting more money she thought something was suspicious,” she added.
“At this point she called her son who confirmed her grandson was not in Toronto, and she realized she’d been duped.”
Longley said police obtained a picture of the suspect cashing the money from the wire transfer in Montreal. Police are still looking for the suspect but even if he is found and charged, the money is likely gone.
Investigators believe that this scam is being operated by a group in Eastern Canada and the suspects may be obtaining personal information through internet searches before calling, she said.
“This type of fraud is particularly disturbing as many seniors are on fixed incomes and are left financially crippled,” she added.
Prevention tips:
• Be cautious of giving out personal information over the phone.
• Call a family member who can help you verify information
• Talk to elderly relatives about telephone scams and how they can protect themselves
• Report suspicious circumstances to your local police and PhoneBusters at www.phonebusters.com
Anyone with information is asked to call the Vancouver Police Financial Crime section directly at 604-717-2569.
Copyright 2009, Vancouverite News Service. Use this article on your blog or website for just $5. News organizations pay $25. To reproduce or distribute, click: http://vancouverite.icopyright.com
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