More than a dozen people have fallen victim to a scam over the past six days that has resulted in significant losses.
The Winnipeg Police Service is warning says that they have recently seen a significant increase in local “grandparent scam” (also known as “emergency scam”). There have been 15 incidents reported to the WPS over the past six days, resulting in total losses of $100,000. They say callers are also scamming those outside the perimeter too.
The WPS says in a release that the “grandparent scam” often involves an actor calling an elderly person and claiming to be a grandchild who is in serious legal trouble and needs money immediately. The caller sometimes cries, and there is often urgency and secrecy around the demands.
In October 2021, the Winnipeg Police Service issued a cautionary media release in response to an increase in “grandparent scams” targeting the elderly.
This release was followed up in March 2022, when it was discovered that the scam had escalated to the point where couriers or rideshare drivers were physically attending the victim’s residence to collect funds – rather than relying on an online transfer.
Grandparent Scam results in $100k in losses over 6 days https://t.co/JgOqOd7z0Z
— Winnipeg Police (@wpgpolice) July 28, 2022
An example of the scam, as seen in recent local incidents, occurs as follows:
A caller will claim to be a nephew, niece or grandchild – and sometimes provides the first name. They then claim…
