Senior nearly snared by phone scam, police say

A senior recently avoided being the victim of a phone scam thanks to media warnings, Greater Sudbury Police said in a news release Wednesday.

Police received a call from an 80-year-old senior citizen “who told us about hearing or reading about the 'Grandparent scam,' which had been the subject of media messages during the past few weeks,” the release said.

“She had received a call from a male person who immediately referred to her as grandma. The man then mentioned that he was visiting out of the country, had committed a traffic offence and he needed money in order to be released from jail.”

The phone was passed on to another man, who claimed to be a police officer. He told her that if the money was transferred by the next morning, he would go before a judge to reduce the sentence and then release her alleged grandson.

“At some point in the conversation, the grandmother, who happens to have two grandsons, admits making the error of asking if it was John or James that was calling,” police said. “Of course, the suspect chose one of the names and used this in his ploy.”

The next morning, the senior planned to transfer the money when she remembered the preventative tips regarding scams and frauds that had been shared locally throughout the media.

“A followup call was made by the suspects the next day, checking on the status of the money, but when the victim started to ask specifics about the arrestee, the phone call was cut short,” the release said. “At this time, she became convinced it was a scam and very grateful that she did not go that extra step.”

Police thanked local media for their help in getting the word out about this sort of scam, which target seniors.

“This story is an example of the shared commitment to community safety and well-being perpetuated through our longstanding partnership with local media,” the release said. “The outcome of this particular case is positive, as the grandparent did not end up out of pocket.”

For more information on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.