“Grandparents” scams in which an individual pretends to be a relative of the victim target seniors, particularly the most vulnerable. Recent cases have been reported to the MRC des Maskoutains, in Montérégie, but this type of fraud is found everywhere in Quebec, warns the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
The objective of fraudsters is to extort money from elderly people. Although they use various schemes to achieve their ends, these thieves often use the same approach with the elderly person.
The suspect will pose as a family member, relative or acquaintance and then contact the victim, telling them they are in trouble and need access to money quickly , sometimes amounts of up to thousands of dollars, explains Louis-Philippe Ruel, spokesperson for the SQ.
“We often see this on the phone. We try to have direct contact with the person to try to convince them that we are the person we claim to be,” says Mr. Ruel. Subsequently, the fraudster tries to get his hands on the money before the family knows about it and protects the vulnerable person.
As of June 30, 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center reported 45,387 fraud reports. There had been 106,974 for the year 2021.
So far this year, nearly 29,000 people have been victims of fraud, representing $242 million in financial loss. In 2021, $381 million was associated with losses from 67,916 victims of fraud.
The SQ of the MRC des Maskoutains reports that two people recently suffered monetary losses, and a dozen other people were approached by the fraudsters without however taking the bait.
“Currently, there are certain cases that fall under the MRC des Maskoutains. On the other hand, it is something that could be found everywhere in Quebec and which surfaces quite sporadically in the news”, indicates agent Ruel.
Fraudsters take advantage of the elderly person’s vulnerability to put pressure on them by playing with their emotions. “In recent cases, they even went so far as to send someone to collect the money from the victim,” said a press release from the SQ. It is therefore important to carry out certain checks before trusting anyone, in particular to verify their identity.
When someone is too insistent or even insolent, for example, if a person demands your answer on the spot, beware, suggests the SQ. Ask personal questions that only your loved one would be able to answer.
The Sûreté du Québec also advises calling another family member or friend of the person to verify the validity of the story presented to you.
Also, if an individual claims to be acting on behalf of an organization, contact the organization directly.
For support, you can call the Elder Abuse Help Line at 1 888 489-2287.