Ruth Card was convinced the person on the other end of the phone line was her grandson — and that he needed help.
The person who recently called the Regina woman said that he was in trouble after a car accident, in which he rear-ended another person’s vehicle.
The supposed grandson also claimed he had a broken nose and was in a lot of pain, said Card.
“He said his friend Daniel was with him,” she said. “It turns out he has no such thing as a friend Daniel.”
In fact, the call was part of a scam — one anti-fraud experts say is common.
Luckily, Card and her husband were alerted to the fraud in time — but not before the scammer’s story became more elaborate.
It started to dawn on us … this is a scam. We were just in an emotional state.– Ruth Card
The person pretending to be their grandson continued with the story about the car accident, claiming a pedestrian and witness accused him of texting and driving, said Card.
He said he was at the courthouse, facing criminal negligence charges.
“It sounded rather extreme,” said Card. “He said [police] had taken away his phone and his wallet … which is one reason why we didn’t phone him right away, you know, on his own phone.”
He directed them to another person, a supposed lawyer, who asked for $9,400 to help the grandson pay for the damage to the other vehicle and allow the charges to be dropped.
The couple went to their bank for the money. That’s when a bank manager told the grandparents the call was a scam.
“We sort of just sat there, you know, just more or less in shock,” said Card.
“It started to dawn on us, you know, that obviously … he’s right. This is a scam. We were just in an emotional state.”
Walking back to their car, the couple called their real grandson, who told them he was fine.
Grandparent scam
Card and her husband are not alone in their experience.
The so-called emergency or grandparent scam is very common, said Sue Lebine, a supervisor with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
“Scammers are professionals and they prey on your emotions,” she said.
These types of frauds usually involve a phone call to an elderly person, with the scammer claiming to a grandchild, according to the according to the Regina Police Service, which warned residents in February the grandparent scam was resurfacing in the city.
Two cases were reported to the police service on Feb. 11 alone. One of the victims lost nearly $8,000.
Other times callers might pretend to be law enforcement officials or lawyers dealing with a grandchild who needs money due to an emergency such as an accident, arrest, or being stuck in a foreign country, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website says.
There were more than 106,000 reports of different frauds in Canada — not just the grandparent scam — last year alone, according to federal government data. More than 67,000 people fell victim to scams, losing a total of $380 million, according to the data.
Reporting scam calls important
Advancing technology such as voice-mimicking software gives scammers more tools to trick seniors and others, said Lebine.
That type of software can be used by an impostor to capture a person’s voice, which they later use to try to scam a loved one.
“They make a fake phone call, and when you answer and say hello or tell the caller that they have the wrong number, just that little snippet of your voice is … all they need to be able to record your voice,” she said.
“It takes three to five seconds for them to start copying the sound.”
She recommends people who get suspicious phone calls simply hang up. If the person claims to be with an organization, call that organization directly to confirm.
In addition, families can use secret passwords or questions with each other to weed out scammers impersonating a loved one.
“Don’t be afraid to ask these questions to whoever is calling you,” said Lebine.
“For example, ‘What is the name of my dog?’ If that person doesn’t know, then for sure it’s easier to tell that it’s a scammer.”
If you don’t recognize the number calling, it might even be better not to answer the phone at all, she said.
Reporting scams is also very important, regardless of whether people fall victim to the fraud or not, added Lebine.
“The information that is being provided to us could help law enforcement identify what scams are ongoing in their area,” she said, and could lead to an investigation.
Victims of fraud should contact local police, said Lebine.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recommends on its website that people report to them any instance of a scam, fraud or cybercrime.
Canadians can reach the centre online or via phone at 1-888-495-8501.
