"Hi, Gram, I need your help and you have to promise not to tell Mom and Dad. I got arrested in Mexico and I need $2,000 bail money..."
According to the Better Business Bureau, consumer scams are a problem in Canada and this is one of the most common: the Emergency Scam, where the scammer poses as a friend or family member in trouble, often overseas, and requests that money be sent. It's sometimes called the Grandparent Scam because seniors are often targeted by scammers pretending to be grandchildren.
During the summer travel season, there is an increased potential for Emergency or Grandparent Scams to occur. More people are traveling and whenever people are vulnerable, fraudsters will generally attack.
Emergency scams play off people's emotions and strong desire to help others in need. Scammers impersonate their victims' loved ones, often using information they've picked up on social media, and make up an urgent situation: I've been arrested, I've been mugged, I'm in the hospital. The scammer makes an urgent plea for help - and money. In most cases, the scammer asks for money to be wired immediately. The victim often responds quickly and without checking first to see if the pleading voice on the other end of the phone really is their grandchild or other loved one.
BBB offers the following tips to protect consumers from Emergency Scams during the summer travel season:
Do not wire money to a stranger you have not met in person.
Investigate by verifying the information with family members and friends first and ignore the caller's plea not to tell others.
Never send funds received by cheque until it officially clears in your account, which can take several days, or more.
Watch out for email scams. Often someone you know may have had their email high jacked by a scammer, so do not trust an emergency via email unless you have verified it first.
You can also report a scam, and learn more on other summer scams on www.mbc.bbb.org.
