Vancouver police hit the streets to warn seniors about surge in scam calls
In the past week, Vancouver police have seen a surge in reports about the so-called "bail money" or "grandchild" scam that targets seniors.
It begins with a phone call from a person pretending to be the victim’s grandchild. They claim they’ve just been arrested, and urgently need money for bail. The caller asks the senior to go to the bank and withdraw cash, which will be picked up by a courier and supposedly used to bail the grandchild out of jail.
“Some people would say, 'How could anyone be caught in this scam?' The fact is, lots of people are,” said Clair Macgougan with the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre.
"(Scammers are) preying on the victims’ love for family members and fear that a loved one has been put in a difficult situation,” said Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison.
“And all too often, we are seeing people willing to hand over the money, no questions asked, because they want to help that family member.”
In just the past week, Addison says, a dozen seniors have been victimized.
“They have lost thousands of dollars collectively, and that’s a huge impact on people," he said. "It’s a huge impact on families, people who are on fixed incomes, and we don’t want to see it happen anymore.”
The VPD believes the best way to combat the scam is to alert seniors directly. So, on Saturday, a team of community policing volunteers fanned out along East Hastings Street to hand out scam alert fliers and speak to residents.
“We know that we have the most success when we get people talking about it, when we get people talking to their family members, to their neighbours, to the community members about it. Really, that’s what we are trying to do today,” said Addison.
When the crime is reported, Vancouver police can sometimes stop the money transfer and catch the culprits.
“We were able to thwart a case like this just last week," Addison said. "An elderly person handed over a significant amount of money because she thought her grandson had been arrested. Hours later, she got a phone call from her grandson, and she pieced it together. They were able to contact us. We were able to intercept the money, which had been sent by courier.”
But all too often, the crime goes unreported.
“What we hear from some seniors is they are embarrassed to report it or they are fearful," said Macgougan. "Some people just aren’t sure about where to report things. Sometimes they won’t even tell their family members, so that’s why we really want to get out the word out."
Addison is encouraging everyone to speak to the elderly people in their lives about how the scam works, adding: “We don’t want to see anybody else losing money, we don’t want to see anybody else becoming victims to this crime.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.