Elora resident loses $14,000 in grandparent scam

A cordless phone is seen in an undated CTV News file image.

An individual from Elora is now out $14,000, and police say they are the victim of another grandparent scam.

According to a press release issued Thursday by Wellington County Ontario Provinical Police, officers received a report of the potential scam on Wednesday.

Police say the victim had received a phone call explaining that their grandson was in jail and bail money was needed.

An unknown person later attended the victim’s address on Keating Street and allegedly collected approximately $14,000.

Following this incident, Wellington County OPP are reminding residents to protect themselves from these scams and provided a list of warning signs to look for:

• If you received a suspicious phone call claiming to be from a family member in an emergency situation, hang up the phone and call the family member directly.

• If the suspicious caller claims to be a law enforcement official, hang up and call police directly.

• Trust your gut and listen to that inner voice that is screaming at you: “This doesn’t sound right”.

• Be careful what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms and dating sites for targeting purposes.

• Be suspicious of phone calls that require you to immediately take action and request bail money for a family member in distress.

• Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from (spoof) and make it appear as a trusted phone number.