Members of the Kelowna RCMP are trying to identify this person of interest.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelowna RCMP
November 16, 2022 - 11:17 AM
The notorious grandparent scam is back and the fraud artists are ripping off seniors in Kelowna.
The scam works like this: Seniors get a phone call from their supposed grandchild who claims to be in deep trouble, and urgently needs a large sum of cash.
RCMP are currently investigating four instances of this type of fraud in Kelowna, according to Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera. Investigators have released images of a person and vehicle of interest.
This vehicle is potentially related to the Grandparent Scams that have occurred recently in Kelowna.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelowna RCMP
He suspects there may be more victims who have yet to realize they’ve been scammed, or feel too embarrassed to come forward to the police.
Scammers often ask for money to be wired immediately and discretely. However, twice in Kelowna scammers arranged to collect large sums of cash from the victim, then went to the victims' homes to pick it up.
READ MORE: West Kelowna grandma scammed out of $1,500
Const. Della-Paolera said these crimes can be difficult to investigate – police don’t normally learn about them until well after they happen, the scammers are professional criminals, and if there is an in-person interaction, the typically preyed upon elderly victims don’t often have the most advanced security or surveillance systems, and descriptions tend to be vague and generic.
“There are challenges in any investigation but these ones are pretty challenging,” he said.
For any grandparent who does find themselves on the phone with a scammer, police recommend hanging up. Don’t give any more information to the scammer, and call the real grandchild or another family member.
Police remind seniors that scammers do research before reaching out to potential victims. They'll often know the grandchild’s name, as well as what the grandchild calls the grandparent – like Nona or Grammy.
The calls should also be reported to local police as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by email or phone at 1-888-495-8501.
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