N.B. RCMP warning of grandparent scam across province

(FILE)

New Brunswick police are warning the public of an ongoing grandparent scam after receiving reports of it in Greater Moncton and the Kings, Madawaska and York counties.

Police say the scam targets the elderly population by manipulating their emotions and trying to extort money from them without giving them time to think.

“In some cases, a fraudster will call a potential victim pretending to be a family member in an emergency situation demanding money immediately,” an RCMP news release reads. “In other cases, a fraudster may identify themselves as a police officer, lawyer, or another form of government official, stating they are calling on behalf of a family member who is in legal trouble, with the same goal of extorting money as quickly as possible.”

Police advise people to protect themselves from fraudsters by:

• not providing personal or financial information over the phone
• hanging up immediately if you believe a scammer is calling you
• not calling someone back if they leave a voicemail saying they are the police, a lawyer or a government official, and they’re looking for money
• reporting scam calls to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

“This type of crime can be challenging, because the scammers can call from anywhere and they could be targeting different communities at the same time,” said Cpl. Hans Ouellette in the release “One of the convincing factors is that they are able to call from what appears to be a local phone number, even though they are not likely in your community.”

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