The Saskatoon Police Service Economic Crime Section is alerting the public to a series of fraudulent activity occurring in Saskatoon.
Recently, police have received multiple reports of fraudsters actively targeting victims in Saskatoon through the Family/Grandparent Emergency Scam. In each report of victimization, fraudsters attended to the victim’s residence and defrauded them of several thousand dollars. Investigators believe that there is at least one woman and one man involved in this fraudulent activity. A photo of the woman is attached for distribution.
To date, investigation has determined that the fraudsters are contacting the victims by telephone claiming to be a law enforcement or legal representative informing the victim that their grandchild is in police custody as a result of a traffic collision and/or drug possession. The fraudster then makes arrangements for a cash payment to be made to someone claiming to be a bail bondsperson at the victim’s residence.
Remember! Any legitimate authority would never make such demands or arrangements over the phone.
Police are encouraging families and friend groups that consist of older and/or vulnerable adults to openly discuss the Family/Grandparent Emergency Scam to prevent continued victimization in the community. If you have received a suspicious call and suspect fraud but have not been victimized, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you have become the victim of fraud, contact your local police or report it to the Saskatoon Police Service by calling 306-975-8300; in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Background:
The Family/Grandparent Emergency Scam involves a potential victim, often an older and/or vulnerable adult, receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a family member in an emergency and requiring money for various purposes. The fraudsters may also work in tandem and connect the victim to another person claiming to be a police officer, lawyer, doctor, or representative of another profession. The payment is often requested as cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. This is a scam! Any legitimate authority would never make such requests.
If you receive a suspicious phone call, ask important questions of the caller to verify their identity but refrain from offering additional details yourself. Alternatively, hang up and call that family member directly to verify their location and well-being and/or connect with other relatives to fact check the call. If the caller is claiming to be law enforcement or a representative of another profession, hang up and call that authority directly to verify the information. Fraudsters leverage urgency and panic to coerce the victim into complying with their requests and demands. Always use extreme caution, especially when being asked to send any form of currency.
