80-year-old nearly scammed out of $16,000; West Vancouver police announce arrest
A man was arrested in West Vancouver this week after an 80-year-old was nearly scammed out of thousands of dollars.
West Vancouver police say the senior and his wife were almost victims of the "grandparent scam," when a fraudster called the couple on Tuesday claiming his name was "Officer Baker" and he'd arrested their grandson.
During the call, the fraudster gave the phone over to another man who claimed to be the grandson. Together, they allegedly convinced the couple to withdraw $16,000.
"Seniors are often targeted by scammers who do their best to confuse the victim," said Const. Nicole Braithwaite in a news release. "These fraudsters are very convincing and prey on the vulnerability of elderly individuals."
Police said the victims were called again and informed someone would come to their home to collect the money. But when a man arrived at their house, he didn't have any police identification, so the couple became suspicious and didn't hand the money over.
Investigators said the man told the couple "Officer Baker" would come to the house with ID.
The couple, who were still with the suspect, waved down West Vancouver police officers who happened to be in the area on an unrelated call. A 26-year-old Richmond man was arrested and the West Vancouver Police Department is requesting a charge of fraud over $5,000.
"These types of frauds are extremely upsetting, and some people are too embarrassed to report it, but please report it. These reports might lead to other arrests," Braithwaite said.
"If you have elderly parents, please talk to them about scams like this one."
Anyone who receives a call like this one is told to hang up the phone and call a trusted family member right away. Police said they'll never call asking for bail money.
Anyone with information about this week's incident is asked to call the WVPD at 604-925-7300.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.