Moose Jaw police warning about ‘grandchild scam’

Moose Jaw police are telling people to not give out any personal information over the phone after scammers have started targeting grandparents.

Police said they have received multiple reports of a caller who is pretending to be a grandchild in need.

The caller indicates they need money right away after getting in trouble with the law. Once the first call is made, a second caller poses as a police officer and withdraws a large sum of cash on behalf of the “victim” with the grandparent’s personal information.

Saskatoon dealt with fraudsters in a “grandparent scam” in early January that defrauded victims of more than $100,000. The same scam made another surge in August.

The Moose Jaw Police Service reminded people that if they question if they’re speaking with a police officer, they should phone 306-694-7600. People should also report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.