Two individuals in southern Ontario have lost more than $10,000 after being deceived by a grandparent scam where someone posed as a bondsperson to collect cash at their homes, according to police.
The Ontario Provincial Police in Perth County reported that earlier this month, two victims received phone calls from someone claiming to be a lawyer. This person informed them that a family member had been arrested following an accident and needed bail money.
The so-called lawyer explained that a bondsperson would arrive at their home to pick up the cash.
“In both cases, the person of interest attended the victims’ homes to collect cash in person, after the victims had attended a bank,” Perth County OPP said in a release on Monday.
One victim handed over $5,000 while another gave the fake bondsperson $5,500, according to police.
The individual who visited the homes was described as a man aged between 20 and 50 years old, standing between five feet five inches and five feet ten inches tall. He was dressed entirely in black, including wearing a black tuque.
Authorities are warning everyone to stay vigilant about such scams and to be cautious when receiving similar emergency calls.
“In this type of emergency call, the grandchild or child on the phone might state they have broken their nose in the collision, and that is why their voice sounds different,” police said.
OPP also remind people that if they get an unsolicited phone call or message asking for personal information like birthdays, banking details or Social Insurance Numbers (SIN), they shouldn’t provide that information and should hang up. Additionally, they shouldn’t agree to pay any bills using gift cards or cryptocurrency.
“Legitimate organizations do not receive payments by gift cards of any type,” police stated.
If anyone thinks they’ve been targeted by a scam, they’re encouraged to contact local authorities or reach out to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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