Another case of the grandparent scam is rearing its ugly head in the region though the victim did not lose any money.
Lennox and Addington OPP say a 61-year-old woman received a call Friday from a distressed male claiming to be her nephew who said he was in jail and needed her assistance.
The male stated he needed to hang up and the call ended, however, shortly after, she received another call from a male identifying himself as a member of the RCMP who told her her nephew had been arrested by Amherstview OPP for possessing 10 lbs of marijuana and further requesting $7,000 cash for his bail.
The woman went to the bank to withdraw the money but the bank denied her request.
Police conducted a wellness check on the nephew and found him at home and in good health.
Lennox & Addington County OPP have received 25 calls in 2024 so far for a variety of different types of frauds.
Warning Signs – How to protect yourself
• If you receive a suspicious phone call claiming to be from a family member in an emergency situation, hang up the phone and contact them directly on the number you have in your contact list.
• If the caller claims to be a law enforcement official and asks you to pay a fine or bail, hang up and call your police directly.
• Listen to that inner voice that is screaming at you: “This doesn’t sound right.”
• Be careful what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms and dating sites for targeting purposes. Suspects can easily gather names and details about your loved ones.
• Be suspicious of telephone calls that require you to immediately take action and request bail money for a family member in distress.
• Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from (spoof) and make it appear as a trusted phone number.
• If you receive an email or text message claiming to be from a friend or loved one asking for money, make the outgoing call to the person by looking up the legitimate phone number you have for them in your contact list.
• Use unique and strong passwords for all social media and email accounts.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local OPP Detachment and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. If not a victim, report it to the CAFC anyway.
