As Canadian grandparents, we love our grandchildren and would do anything for them. And that is what scammers i.e. criminals, fraudsters love about us. They have proven that, by playing on our love for our grandchildren, they can rip us off for thousands of dollars.
How grandparent scams work
They work in various ways. One way is a fraudster will contact you pretending to be your grandchild or a person representing your grandchild. It can be a phone call or as Calgary police recently warned scammers are now using text messages to connect with grandparents.
In any case, there is always an urgency to the call. It may be that your grandchild has been in an accident or involved in a crime or there is a medical emergency. Whatever it is, you speak to someone who claims to be assisting your grandchild or claiming to be your grandchild or a police officer or someone within the justice system like a lawyer or a bail bondsman (no such thing in Canada).
There is a stipulation — the conversation is not to be shared with anyone, e.g., there is a gag order in place or your grandchild is embarrassed and does not want you to tell anyone.
The fraudster explains the next steps, including how much money is needed and how to send it – gift cards, a wire transfer or some other untraceable method. They may tell you they will send someone to your house to pick up the money.
Before you think, “I would never fall for that,” think again. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), in the first six months of 2023 alone, there were 32,458 reports of fraud, 21,299 victims and more than $283 M lost.
Why do Canadian grandparents fall for grandparent scams?
Because it sounds real and because we want to help our grandchildren. It is that simple. Eileen Lawson believed that her granddaughter, who was away at university, had been in a car crash.
How do they know you have a grandson or granddaughter?
When I asked the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre that very question, they said that fraudsters use social media and other platforms to learn information about potential victims, including their family members’ and loved ones’ names. They’ll use these names to contact seniors and convince them that they are speaking to their loved one or an official calling on behalf of a loved one.
So, criminals scour the internet. How many of us have posted a proud grandparent moment with our grandchildren? A simple picture of our grandchild’s graduation will do it. That’s all the information they need. You have a grandchild who is old enough to be independent.
The CAFC advises people to minimize the amount of personal information they share online and select the highest security settings for their social media accounts (i.e., don’t have your account be open to the public, don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know).
They also source information when they say “Grandma” or “Grandpa.” We respond to that as anyone would. And they have you.
That is what happened to Georgina and Dave Bartolotta. They thought they were helping their grandson, who had supposedly been in a car crash. They lost $8,000. They want to help ensure that it does not happen to others.
AI powered scams
AI technology is now being used by fraudsters to make it all seem more real. Recently, fraudsters used Tom Hanks likeness to promote an insurance dental plan. To some, it looked and sounded just like him but when compared to his real photos, they are different.
Tips for detecting AI powered images:
Visual anomalies: check for shadows or lighting. Are the shadows in the right place? If they seem to be showing different directions, it’s not real.
Facial features: Have a close look and see if the skin, eyes, nose and mouth are natural. When the image is talking, is the mouth moving naturally? AI has to perfected hair or skin. Look at Tom Hanks. His skin is too smooth and he doesn’t look his age. You know what your grandchild looks like. If it’s not perfectly what you know, doubt that it is real.
How to protect yourself
Watch for these red flags from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre suggest the following:
- If you receive a phone call claiming to be from a family member in an emergency, hang up the phone and contact them directly using a phone number you already have – not one provided by the suspected fraudster.
- If the caller claims to be a law enforcement official, hang up and call your local police directly, using a phone number from a reputable source – not one provided by the fraudster.
- Be suspicious of telephone calls that require you to act immediately and request money for a family member in distress
- Listen to that inner voice screaming, “This doesn’t sound right”
- If they asked for cash or cryptocurrency, hang up. The Canadian Criminal Justice System does not allow for someone to be bailed out of jail with cash or cryptocurrency.
- Be careful what you post online
- Scammers can get details that you shared on social media platforms and dating sites to target you or get names and details about your loved ones
- Don’t trust caller ID names and numbers
- Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from and can make it appear as a trusted phone number, also known as spoofing.
If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right.
Let’s learn from other grandparents who thought they were helping their grandchild.
- Diane and Ron Lindsay believed they were helping their grandson who was supposedly in jail.
- Manitoba senior loses more than $7K in “grandparent scam” Portage La Prairie RCMP
- Ontario Provincial Police – experts and a victim speak
- Calgary man arrested in grandparent scam.
- RCMP warn of grandparent scams in Edmonton
Don’t fall for it and report it
If you believe you are or have been the victim of fraud, contact your local police and call Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
at 1-888-495-8501 or file a report through the federal Fraud Reporting System.