RCMP warn of scam as they look for those who may be involved

Fraudsters pretend to be a relative in need of money, often claiming they’ve been arrested and need to be bailed out

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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RCMP are warning the public about a scam targeting seniors as they search for people they suspect could be involved.

Mounties say fraudsters pretend to be a relative in need of money, often claiming they’ve been arrested and need to be bailed out.

Then a second person comes on the line, usually pretending to be a police officer or a lawyer, to instruct the victim on how to hand over the cash.

After that, a fake bail bondsman shows up to the victim’s home to collect the payment.

RCMP say there are several recent incidents of victims losing between $5,000 and $10,000.

They have released photos (see above) of what they believe shows persons arriving to pick up cash, along with a vehicle they drove in one of the incidents, which may be a  2019 Toyota Corolla.

Mounties say Canadian authorities don’t solicit the release of someone for money, and they’d never come to your door for cash.

But often fraudsters are very good at what they do, so they’ve provided the following tips to help protect against these types of scams:

• Fraudsters create a sense of urgency – slow things down reach out to other relatives and review the situation together, contact authorities if need be.
• If you still believe the caller then contact the authority represented through their legitimate contact source eg. website or phone book that you have located and not provided to you by the contactor.
• Attempt to contact the family member in question.
• Do not send money, gift cards, Bitcoin or anything else of value in “urgent situations”.
• Don’t drop your guard because the number on your caller ID looks familiar or legitimate. Scammers can spoof telephone numbers and make it appear they are calling from a trusted source.
• 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.

If you’re a victim or know someone else who is, or if you have any information about these incidents, call police at 902-490-5020.

Scams can also be reported through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.