St. Marys bank staff thwart grandparent scam: police

Stratford police are warning the public after they say there’s been an increase in grandparent scams in the last several weeks.

According to a news release, police said one victim was stopped from withdrawing several thousand dollars when staff at the BMO in St. Marys recognized the customer was being scammed.

Grandparent scams typically occur when a person poses as someone’s grandchild then frantically explains they are in a trouble or need help with some type of emergency.

“The scammer typically solicits information by beginning the phone call by stating ‘Grandma(pa), it’s me, I’m in trouble!’ After being provided a name of a grandchild who the victim believes the scammer to be,” police said in the release.

Police said the scammer often urgently asks for money and warns not to tell anyone what happened.

Police released tips on how to avoid a similar scam:

• Never offer information to the caller like the person’s name before they identify themselves.
• Ask the caller personal questions that only the person would know.
• Hang up the phone and attempt to contact another family member to confirm the whereabouts of your grandchild.
• Never send money for payments by way of gift cards.

Stratford police are asking anyone who may have received a call of this nature to file a report through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or call police.

“By creating awareness, we can all play a part in fraud prevention,” the release said.