Police warn of ongoing scam targeting seniors in the Halifax area

CITYnews halifax / By Blake Priddle

Halifax Regional Police (HRP) are looking for two men suspected of being involved in a series of frauds committed in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

One of the suspects is said to be between 30 to 40 years old, wearing all-black clothing, a black medical mask, and glasses. He has short black hair that appears to be shaved on the sides, and he may be travelling in a white SUV.

The other suspect is said to be about 50 years old wearing beige pants and a black jacket with a hood and has a shaved head.

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According to police, the suspects are believed to be a part of an ongoing scam where a caller poses as a family member claiming they were arrested and need bail money.

Another person claiming to be from the legal system then becomes involved in the call and informs the victim they need to pay money to have their relative(s) released.

In all recent incidents, the suspect made arrangements to pick up the money by going to the victim’s home, meeting them elsewhere or having the victim send the cash in the mail or with a courier service.

HRP is asking people to be cautious when dealing with suspicious emails or phone calls and to avoid acting immediately no matter how urgent the message appears to be. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to get their victims to react quickly into giving away their money, police say.

A photo of one of the suspects. (HRP)

Fraudsters can also spoof phone numbers to make it appear that they are calling from a trusted source. People should avoid giving personal information to anyone unless they are certain of the identity of the person trying to contact them.

Anyone with information about the suspects identity or whereabouts is asked to contact the HRP at 902-490-5020. You can also report a scam to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.