The Edmonton Police Service says a scam targeting grandparents has defrauded seniors of more than $25,000 this week.
The EPS received four reports of the scam on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Police say in all of the cases, a suspect contacts the senior either in person or over the phone and says their grandchild has been arrested or in an accident and is in need of money.
The scammer then takes a credit card number over the phone. In one case, police say the suspect attended an elderly person’s home and took the cash in person.
In all four cases, police say the scammer falsely identified themselves as a police officer or lawyer, or as a grandchild.
The scams have defrauded the seniors of more than $25,000 this week alone, police said.
Police are warning the public that scammers will prey on people’s emotions, and urge people to question anyone who demands money or personal information.
“If someone is claiming that your family member is in trouble, confirm with your family before you provide personal or financial information,” EPS Staff Sgt. Tom Paton said.
“If the person claims to be from a police service, you can call the service directly to confirm the situation. Police will never contact you and demand money.”
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