At the seniors activity centre in Kelowna, B.C., news of a spike in scams targeting seniors is worrisome.
“Very concerning that people are being taken advantage of, seniors in particular,” said Kelowna senior Sue Ulmer. “Just important to get the word out to people to be very cautious about it and double check before they do anything foolish.”
According to Kelowna RCMP, there have been at least 14 scams involving seniors since January, possibly more that went unreported.
In total, the cases have resulted in more than $36,000 lost to the scam artists.
“We want to get this message out that it is happening in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan,” said Cpl. Mike Gauthier. “Please be very mindful.”
Gauthier said the vast majority of the recent incidents in the Central Okanagan involve the so-called ‘Grandparent Scam’.
It involves the scammer calling the victim and impersonating a grandchild or another family member who is in some type of trouble and in need of immediate financial help.
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According to police, the scammers are very persistent and in some cases even arrange for the money to be picked up in person.
“In some cases they are identified as a courier. We have had some where they have said they are an undercover police officer collecting the cash or a lawyer,” Gauthier said.
“And they are attending in person, whether that be at the residence or at a set location but being in person itself is very unique.”
Gauthier added that the other scam currently making the rounds is computer-based.
“Scammers are emailing individuals and asking to click a link in order to repair their computers,” Gauthier said. “After they click that link, they now have access to their computers. They have been hacked and they demand money in order not to share their information publicly.”
The increase in scams has police urging seniors not to share private information and never hand over cash to someone they don’t know.
“Nobody should be collecting that kind of money from you over the phone or in person,” Gauthier said. “Police, lawyers, the courts, they do not collect that kind of cash especially via courier from you and so it’s going to be a scam.”
RCMP are also asking for all scams, even the attempted ones, to always be reported to police.
RCMP are investigating the recent scams and in some cases, utilizing home security footage, to try and track down the people responsible.
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More than $36,000 lost to scammers in the Central Okanagan since January
