'Know that it can happen to you': Nova Scotia senior warns others about scam
'Know that it can happen to you': Nova Scotia senior warns others about scam
A Nova Scotia senior is warning people about a scam targeting grandparents after she lost $5,000 to fraudsters.
Debbie Reid, 64, of Middle Sackville, N.S., is one of several victims whose cases is being investigated by Halifax Regional Police and RCMP.
"It’s scary. Especially when they come to the house," Reid said. “It kind of scares ya.”
On Monday, Reid’s phone rang. The man on the other line claimed to be her grandson. He said had been in a car collision, in police custody, and needed bail money.
"It sounded like him,” Reid said. "The way he was talking, everything.”
A person posing as a police officer joined the call and outlined the conditions.
"It was $90,000 bail,” Reid said. “That he had to come up with 10 per cent of that.”
She was promised she’d get the money back once her grandson went to court.
Feeling pressured and guilty Reid rushed to her bank and withdrew her vacation savings-- $5,000.
It was money she’d saved up to take her first cruise after her husband died in 2021.
"He said okay, they got a hold of the bondsman and they’re sending a courier over to pick it up," Reid said.
A man came to her door and collected the cash.
It was after she handed the money over that she called her son she realized she’d been scammed.
Her grandson was home all day.
“I feel stupid not to question anything he was saying really. And I didn’t,” Reid said.
“Lost. I feel violated. I’m hurt. I’m angry. I’m upset. All of that.”
Nova Scotia RCMP said they’re dealing with several victims a week.
"Let’s not lose sight of the fact these people are professionals," said Sgt. Andrew Joyce, a Public Information Officer with Nova Scotia RCMP. "They’re very good at what they do. They’re very convincing.”
CTV News obtained surveillance footage of a man walking up and down Reid’s street who she said came to her door.
On Wednesday, Halifax Regional Police issued a suspect photo and described the suspect as a black man in his 20s or 30s, who is approximately 6’ tall and has short dark hair and glasses.
"We’ve had some success last month where police arrested an individual with this exact type of scam. But here we are again, somebody doing a very, very similar type thing,” said Joyce.
Police are reminding people to be suspicious of any emails or calls asking for money.
While some of the suspects have been posing as an officer to get bail, HRP and RCMP add police would never make this type of call.
Reid hopes by sharing her story, she can help someone else.
"Know that it can happen to you when I don’t think I would ever happen to me and it did,” Reid said.
“It does happen, they’re very professional. They know what they’re doing.”
Anyone who has lost money or identity in relation to a scam are asked to call Halifax Regional Police at 902-490-5016. If you know of a scam but haven’t been a victim, it can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent endrun around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is forcing MPs to debate and then vote on a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet with Vladimir Putin in a political boost for the isolated Russian president after the International Criminal Court charged him with war crimes in Ukraine.
Even at one of the tallest natural peaks on Earth, humans have left their mark in a trail of bacteria as researchers have found germs from coughing and sneezing that have been potentially preserved for centuries on Mount Everest.
March 20 marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, and, after a long, grey winter, Torontonians can soon look forward to warmer temperatures and sunnier days.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
The Town of Strathmore and Siksika Nation hosted the first Lead By Example Powwow this weekend in honour of a young Indigenous man who was shot to death four years ago.
Autopsies confirmed gunshot wounds as the cause of death for two constables responding to a domestic dispute Thursday, the Edmonton Police Service says.
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
Two families were displaced early Monday morning after a fire ripped through a building in Montreal's Quartier Latin. No one was injured, according to the Montreal fire department (SIM).
Autopsies confirmed gunshot wounds as the cause of death for two constables responding to a domestic dispute Thursday, the Edmonton Police Service says.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
Lane restrictions are now in place on Wellington Street as construction gets underway on Phase 1 of the Wellington Gateway and Municipal Infrastructure Improvements project.
The first day of spring in the London region will be a beautiful one. The daytime high is forecast to be 6 C, slightly warmer than the average high for this time of year.
One person has been confirmed dead and six people remain missing as police continue to search for victims after a fire swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday.
The Rideau McDonald's Farewell March brought people from across the city, some dressed in costumes, who wanted to say goodbye to a part of what they say makes Ottawa Ottawa.
If you are yearning to walk the trails around Mud Lake in the Britannia Conservation Area, be aware there are wild turkeys looking for mates. A gang of three have been chasing and pecking at visitors to the nature trail for weeks.
Vancouver firefighters were called to the Downtown Eastside Sunday evening after a fire destroyed multiple tents in an encampment and spread to a building near Main and East Hastings streets.
An international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, B.C., Friday evening, according to a local politician.
Travel nurses go from place to place, all over the world, filling in wherever help is needed. To assist with current shortages, some are in Saskatchewan.
Pile O Bones hosted their 18th annual tattoo convention at the Turvey Centre on the weekend where artists from around the country were able to highlight their talent.
An Ontario woman has launched a lawsuit seeking $500,000 from Tim Hortons after she suffered major burns from an alleged ‘superheated’ tea. The company has denied all allegations and said she was ‘the author of her own misfortune.'
Mounties in Port McNeill violated a suspect's Charter rights by failing to allow him to contact a lawyer promptly after his 2019 drug trafficking arrest, a judge has ruled.
