Thirteen people in the Midland area have reported phone and internet fraud attempts since March 11.
That is prompting Southern Georgian Bay OPP to remind people to be vigilant when it comes to emergency and grandparent scams.
The fraudsters claim a family member urgently needs money in an attempt to swindle victims, who are often elderly. Sometimes they will even claim to be a police officer and provide a false rank and badge number, OPP noted in a news release.
A request is usually made for Canadian currency or gift cards worth more than $5,000, and an attempt to arrange a pickup at the victim’s home is often made.
“Remember, Canadian police officers do not and will not ask for cash or gift cards,” the news release stated. “If you receive a telephone call or an electronic message from police or persons in authority asking for money to assist a friend or family member, your first call should be to the OPP Communications Centre at 1-888-310-1122. Do not provide any identification or your address.”
More information about emergency and grandparent scams can be found here.
Police urge people to report suspected fraud attempts by calling the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
