Saint John Police, New Brunswick RCMP warn about rise in 'Grandparent Scams'

Multiple police services in New Brunswick are warning residents about a rise in "grandparent scams."

Both the New Brunswick RCMP and the Saint John Police Force are warning residents of an increased number of complaints to the authorities on this scam. Generally, fraudsters call seniors (and others) posing to be a police officer, lawyer, or another authoritative figure stating their grandchild is either in an accident or in jail and needs cash immediately to help them out.

“I believe the more that we get the message out there that this type of thing is happening our area, the more people are aware of it, the better it's going to be for preventing that type of thing from happening,” says Saint John police staff sergeant Matthew Weir.

He says there are a number of ways people can protect themselves from the Grandparent scam, or any scam attempt for that matter.

When speaking with a fraudsters over the phone, it is important to verify the story in question. Scammers bank on making their victim panic in a way that will make them want to help there loved one quickly without taking time to process the situation presented. You should ask the caller personal questions that only a loved one would know, and confirm who you are speaking with before offering any help. People should also never send money to someone you don’t know or trust, and never give personal information to the caller.

“I think most importantly is that we all take the time to speak with our friends and our family and engage with the seniors that are in our lives to make them aware of this type of thing that's going on,” says Weir.

Executive director of the Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents’ Rights, Cecile Cassista, says the amount of scams happening targeting seniors is a concern. She says fraudsters target this demographic due their loneliness and vulnerability.

She adds she recently spoke with a bank manager who notes of how many panicked seniors they have seen in recent months trying to withdraw large amounts of cash at the fraudster’s request. Many of whom don’t realize they are being scammed until it is too late.

“Not too long ago we had a situation where a lady just did (get scammed) in Riverview,” Cassista recalls. “She spent all day, getting her walker in and out of the car, going to the various institutions, getting money out and she lost $12,000.”

Both Cassista and Weir urge residents to report any incident to the police, with Weir pointing out the real number of those impacted by scams is likely much higher than police are aware of due to people being embarrassed to come forward with their story.

Saint John police say if you do receive a call that you believe may be a scam to hang up immediately and call whoever the person is claiming to be, whether that is another family member of officer of the law.

The RCMP also urges residents to report any scam attempts to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, who have information online on how to better protect yourself from being scammed.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.