Midwestern Ontario residents -- especially seniors -- are being warned to be very cautious of the so-called "grandparent scam".
A couple in the Municipality of Bluewater lost $1,000 after falling victim to the scam, and they could have lost a lot more.
The couple -- a woman in her late 70s and a man in his 80s -- received a call from someone pretending to be their grandson. The grandson said he had been in an accident and had been arrested for blowing just over the legal limit.
A man claiming to be the boy's lawyer then came on the phone, stating that their grandson would be released from jail if they paid $2,500 for the damaged vehicle.
Believing the story to be true, the victims went to their local bank and wired $2,500 to the bank account number that was given to them. A short time later, they were able to talk to their actual grandson and it was quickly learned that none of it was true.
They were able to recover some of the transferred funds but still lost $1,000.
If you or someone you know may have been the victim of the "emergency/grandparent" scam, contact your local police service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501or on the web at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm
