Grandparent scams on the rise, Calgary police investigate new twist – Calgary | 24CA News
Calgary police say they’re persevering with to research a collection of grandparent scams after seeing a spike in reported incidents with scammers utilizing new techniques to focus on seniors.
Police mentioned in a press release Monday that they acquired 99 studies of scams in opposition to seniors from Jan. 1 to June 30 this yr.
In the previous, police say scammers sometimes known as seniors on the telephone, claiming to be their grandchild who had been arrested and was in pressing want of cost to cowl bail prices. Payment was normally collected in individual by a scammer posing as a court-appointed courier who would come to the houses of victims or have seniors meet them elsewhere with the cash, usually making a doubtlessly harmful state of affairs for the senior.
Calgary police warn that court-appointed couriers don’t exist and if somebody asks to return to your own home to select up cost, it’s a purple flag. Police additionally say demanding prompt cost through e-transfer can also be a purple flag. E-transfers are instantaneous, and if the recipient isn’t native, it may be tough to retrieve misplaced funds.
Police say scammers at the moment are contacting seniors straight through textual content message and demanding cost through e-transfer, thereby eliminating the necessity to meet in individual to gather the funds.
“Scammers use convincing and high-pressure tactics to prey upon the emotions of senior citizens, ultimately taking advantage of their trust and generosity,” Det. Darcy Williams of the Calgary Police Service says.
Police are utilizing the slogan, “If it has to be now, it has to be no,” and seniors are being suggested to all the time converse to household, pals, caregivers and different trusted people to confirm the legitimacy of the claims being made earlier than performing.
“Our goal is to help facilitate open conversations between seniors, caregivers and families while educating citizens about the red flags of this prevalent scam. We encourage anyone who has been victim to report the incident to police immediately,” mentioned Williams.
Information on how seniors can shield themselves, together with an outline of the grandparent rip-off ruse, is offered on the Calgary Police Service web site and anybody with details about these scams is requested to name the police non-emergency quantity or Crime Stoppers.
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