Regina, Moose Jaw police and White Butte RCMP all warn of phone scams

Police services and RCMP in southern Saskatchewan are dealing with an influx of ‘grandparent/parent scam’ calls.

In the past 48 hours, the Regina Police Service has seen seven reported cases of emergency scams where fraudsters target grandparents and “play upon their emotions to compel them to release thousands of dollars.”

Similarly, in Moose Jaw, its police service has received over 30 reports of the scam, with a few callers falling victim.

White Butte RCMP have also received “numerous” reports of the telephone scam.

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What happens in a typical call?

Before the call, fraudsters will research their victims and families through social media and obituaries. Elderly victims are the main target.

A fraudulent caller will tell the victim there is an emergency involving their loved one and demand money.

In some cases, the scammer says their loved one is in jail, has been in an accident, has to pay a hospital bill or cover lawyer fees.

The scammer will urge the caller not to tell anyone, including the bank, about the situation.

Some calls will replicate the voice of the victim’s family member, while other callers represent themselves as an authority figure.

The caller instructs the victim to provide them with a large sum of money either electronically or in person.

In some cases, fraudsters posed as police officers, lawyers or other legal system officials and the victims provided their home address to pick up bond money.

RCMP and police remind public to be vigilant

The Saskatchewan RCMP encourage members of the public to take the following steps to prevent being victim of a phone scam:

• Be careful; scammers can spoof telephone numbers and make it appear as though they’re calling from a trusted source.
• Slow things down. Scammers create a sense of urgency when they call.
• Never agree to meet with someone who called you asking for money.
• Never give out personal information like your name, address, SIN or banking information over unsolicited calls or emails.
• If you are unsure if an incoming call is from your banking institution, a lawyer, police or a fraudster, hang up and call the agency back using a familiar phone number to confirm the information you were told is accurate.
• Don’t be afraid to say no! Don’t be intimidated by high-pressure sales tactics or requests to send money right away. Walk away or hang up the phone.

RCMP remind people that police officers, lawyers, judges or jails would never request or pick up bond money.

Police are encouraging families and friend groups to reach out to their older loved ones and openly discuss the scam.

Anyone who’s been a victim of a scam should report it to police. Any suspected scams can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.