Mounties warn of scam targeting grandparents in HRM

A man was contacted by someone pretending to be his grandson who claimed to have been arrested

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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RCMP are warning of a scam that recently targeted two grandparents in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

In February, a man was contacted by someone pretending to be his grandson who claimed to have been arrested.

A second fraudster followed up, saying he was a lawyer and the man needed to send $9,000 to get his grandson released.

The man sent the money, then the scammers asked for an additional $8,000.

The victim got in touch with his grandson, then reported the scam to police.

A woman received a similar communication earlier this week, but she contacted police and didn’t send the money.

Police are offering up the following tips to protect yourself from scammers:

• Do not send money, gift cards, Bitcoin or anything else of value to someone you’ve never met in-person.
• If you have a feeling that something is not right, it is best to trust your gut and stop communicating with that person.

“If in doubt, hang up or delete and do not continue communication,” police added.

“Anyone who suspects they have been targeted in a phone or computer scam is encouraged to contact their local police, and also the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online.”