The “grandparent” phone scams are back.
And police are warning seniors not to fall for the fake calls — or they could be out of money.
The advisory comes after Port Moody police (PMPD) took three different reports yesterday, Feb. 15, from elderly residents being fooled by someone claiming to be their grandchild and needing cash urgently for a legal matter.
In two of the three cases, the swindler stole a total of $12,000; both victims went to the bank to get the money and handed it over to the suspect at their homes.
Last week, police said, an elderly couple in Port Moody was defrauded of $21,000 under a similar scheme.
“We are notifying the public of these frauds in hopes of preventing further incidents,” said PMPD spokesperson Const. Sam Zacharias in a news release today, Feb. 16.
“We strongly encourage our community to engage with their elderly loved ones and have a conversation about this scam.”
PMPD advise seniors who get a scam call to hang up and notify police immediately: 604-461-3456.
