In partnership with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, police are launching an awareness campaign to prevent “emergency scams” targeting seniors.
The awareness campaign, put on through a partnership between the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), runs Feb. 6-10.
Emergency scams, including variations called "grandparent scams,” use urgency and the manipulation of emotions to extort money from victims.
In 2022, the CAFC received fraud reports totalling $530 million in victim losses. This was nearly a 40-per-cent increase from 2021, where reports totaled an unprecedented $380 million in losses.
Specific to emergency or “grandparent scams,” in 2022, more than $9.2 million was reported lost to these schemes, according to the CAFC. This was a drastic increase from $2.4 million in 2021.
In Ontario alone, there was more than $5.4 million in losses, the highest of any province. It is estimated that only five to 10 per cent of victims report scams and fraud to the CAFC or law enforcement.
According to a release from the OPP, these emergency scams involve fraudsters cold-calling seniors on landline phones, claiming to be a grandchild, family member, law enforcement officer or lawyer calling on behalf of their loved one.
They'll say that the person's loved one was involved in an emergency situation, such as a collision, charged by law enforcement, legal peril, being sick or injured.
They demand the senior provide payment immediately for supposed bail, legal fees, fines or other amounts “owed” to stop the family member from going to jail or to get them released from custody.
This is a scam.
The fraudsters isolate the victims by informing them that there is a court-imposed gag order, and they're forbidden from discussing the matter. The victims are directed to attend their financial institution to withdraw the requested amount in cash. The fraudsters will then send someone to pick it up from the victim's home or have the victim send the money via courier services. There have also been reports of victims paying with cryptocurrency.
During the awareness campaign partners will be posting social media tips, bulletins, and various other resources. Then, on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m., they will be hosting a live chat to discuss emergency-grandparent scams alongside an attempted victim who will share their experience. You can view this live chat on the OPP's Twitter and Facebook.
They also advise having conversations with seniors and family members on what to do if they get a phone call like this. Consider coming up with a code word so your family member knows it is a real call.
If you fall victim to a fraud or know someone who has, contact your local police service to report the crime and also report it to the CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS), even if a financial loss did not occur.
