PRINCE ALBERT - The Prince Albert Police Service are warning the public of frauds involving false emergencies.
While this fraud has been around for a while, there has been a recent report received relating to this scam.
The Family/Grandparent Emergency Scam involves a potential victim, often an older adult, receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a family member in an emergency and requiring money for various purposes.
The fraudsters may also work in tandem and connect the victim to another person claiming to be a police officer, lawyer, doctor, or representative of another profession.
To further the ruse, the fraudster will often have the ‘injured’ person speak on the phone. A common tactic is to say they have broken their nose which is why their voice sounds different.
Payment is often requested as cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
This is a scam!
Any legitimate authority would never make such requests.
If you receive a suspicious phone call, ask important questions of the caller to verify their identity but refrain from offering additional details yourself.
Alternatively, hang up and call that family member directly to verify their location and well-being and/or connect with other relatives to fact-check the call.
If the caller is claiming to be law enforcement or a representative of another profession, hang up and call that authority directly to verify the information.
Fraudsters leverage urgency and panic to coerce the victim into complying with their request.
Always use extreme caution, especially when being asked to send a form of currency.
If you have been a victim of an emergency scam and suffered a financial loss, report the incident online at papolice.ca or call our non-emergency number at 306-953-4222.
If you were contacted about this type of scam but did not experience a financial loss, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/.
