Kelowna RCMP warn of surge in grandparent scam

Kelowna RCMP have reminded people to be wary of requests for money following a spike in grandparent scam incidents.

Mounties say several people in Kelowna and West kelowna have recently fallen victim to the scam, losing a combined more than $20,000 to the fraudsters.

Most of the recent cases have reportedly used similar stories and saw the scammer impersonate their grandchild or a lawyer on their behalf, requesting money to pay for bail after their grandchild was arrested.

Police said that once the victim has withdrawn the cash, the scammers arranged pick ups at set locations, or even at the victim’s residences.

In most cases reported to the RCMP, the person collecting the money was a woman wearing a face covering, who then left with the money on foot.

“These recent incidents are unique in that one of the suspects is actually attending in person to collect the cash, whereas these types of scams are usually faceless and done via an online transaction,” Cpl. Michael Gauthier of the Kelowna RCMP, said.

“It is imperative that we have these tough conversations with our vulnerable family members to avoid these types of incidents. Fortunately, we do have some reports advising us of the attempt only, foiled by the individual calling their grandchild directly or family to confirm their wellbeing. We have also had cases where an astute bank employee suspected something suspicious and through conversation was able to identify the scam and ultimately prevent them from carrying through with it.”

Anyone who receives a request for money over the phone, via email, or by text message, and has concerns, is encouraged to contact a trusted family member or the police for advice.

Anyone who does fall victim to this or any other scam should report it to the police and to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre.