Posted:
Police are advising citizens of a recurring scam that targets seniors.
The HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Section has received several reports where seniors are contacted by a suspectalleging to be their grandchild. The suspect claims to have an emergency while overseas and needs a sum of money for a lawyer, to pay for damages or to post bail. When an initial amount has been sent by the victim, the suspect calls back for more money. It has been determined that these calls are not legitimate and, in most cases, the suspect does not have the name of the grandchild and seeks this information from the victim as part of the scam. The victims in these cases were defrauded of tens of thousands of dollars.
HRM Partners in Policing reminds citizens to be suspicious of any calls asking for money and to make sure the call is legitimate before sending any money or making any donations. You should also not give personal information to anyone, whether solicitation occurs by telephone or in person, unless you have initiated the contact or you are certain of the identification of the individual and the legitimacy of the organization they claim to represent.
If you have been the victim of a scam, you should report the matter to police by calling the HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit at 490-1985 or online at https://www.halifax.ca/police/NonDispatch/index.html