Grandparent scams are on the rise. Here's how you can protect yourself
Grandparent scams are on the rise. Here's how you can protect yourself
Like hundreds of Canadian seniors this year, Ilene Lawson received a terrifying phone call she won’t soon forget.
She was told her granddaughter had been in a car accident and a loaded gun was found in the trunk. She was now in police custody.
“I was freaking out. I was totally freaking out,” said Lawson at her home in Mississauga, Ont. “I was shaking, which is not normally me. All I could think about is my granddaughter being a cell, locked up in there.”
The caller told Lawson her granddaughter would be released if she paid a $10,000 dollar cash bond. But she was told there was a gag order and she had to keep quiet.
It was only after she handed over the money, she realized it was all a lie.
She is now sharing her story in the hope that no one else will fall victim to the scam.
“Every night when I go to bed I relive it,” she said.
Police across the country are seeing a rise in criminals preying on fears of the elderly with what’s known as grandparent scams.
They say fraudsters are no longer just collecting by wire transfer.
“What we’re seeing locally is that there’s an in-person element. It’s not just online, and that’s concerning to me,” said Cpl. Laura Hirst of the Burnaby RCMP in B.C.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 in 2022, there were 1,352 reports of ‘emergency’ scams, resulting in more than $4.5 million in losses. That’s almost twice the losses in all of 2021.
That’s only the reported cases. Victims often stay silent.
“It’s not only financial consequences but also emotional consequences, where these victims usually are going to have a sense of fear, discouragement, shame that they have listened to the fraudsters,” said Lt. Lynne Labelle of the Montreal police department.
RCMP say seniors who get such a call should:
Hang up and not provide any information to the caller
Do not send money to the caller
Call your family members right away, especially the family member in question
Report this information to police.
All scams should also be reported to the CAFC, which can be reached online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.
“Be mindful or be careful of what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms,” said Jeff Horncastle of the CAFC. “A lot of times if you list your family members, names of your family members, fraudsters unfortunately can gather this information and use it as an extra tool to try and scam you.”
The federal Liberal government is joining the Opposition Conservatives in no longer allowing its members of Parliament to expense taxpayers for home internet services.
On Feb. 27, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country needed fighters, and foreigners were welcome to join the front line in the defence against Russian aggression. Some Canadians were among the first to answer the call.
Canada is sending four combat-ready battle tanks to Ukraine and will be deploying 'a number' of Canadian Armed Forces members to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to operate them.
Following the deaths of more than 300 children from contaminated cough syrups in several countries, Health Canada says it's been more than a decade since similar cases were identified here.
Rent prices in Canada grew at a record pace last year as the country saw the lowest vacancy rate since 2001, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said.
The independent body that oversees the safety of technical systems and equipment in British Columbia has found a deadly ammonia leak near Kamloops last May was a tragedy that took years to unfold.
On CTVNews.ca/W5: Executive Producer Derek Miller highlights an example of a W5 mini investigation that never made it to air, but made a difference in someone's life nonetheless.
On CTVNews.ca/W5: Executive Producer Derek Miller highlights some of W5's upcoming investigations, including Mexico's multi-billion dollar avocado industry run by cartels, and a continuing look into the Pivot Airlines passengers and crew who were detained for months without charges in the Dominican Republic.
The five-member Pivot Airlines crew, who had been detained in the Dominican Republic for almost eight months, is now back in Canada. An emotional airport reunion took place in a special pre-arrivals area of Toronto Pearson International Airport, as the two flight attendants, pilot, co-pilot and mechanic were greeted by family.
W5 speaks with Pivot Airlines flight attendant Christina Carello, who reveals new details about how she uncovered key evidence that had been tampered with in a nightmare ordeal in the Dominican Republic.
CTV's W5 has been shown never-before-seen surveillance footage of Punta Cana International Airport from the night before a Canadian airline crew was detained after discovering duffel bags stuffed with 210 kilograms of cocaine in their plane's avionics bay.
Fifty years ago, Omar Sachedina’s mother was expelled from Uganda along with tens of thousands of other Asians. This summer, she returned to her village for the first time. Omar recounts, in his own words, the emotional return to his mother’s homeland on CTVNews.ca.
CTV W5 investigates claims by parents who say seclusion and restraints are being used in schools on their children with disabilities, without their permission or knowledge.
The Toronto police will be rolling out an increased presence across the TTC following a rash of violent, and sometimes random, incidents on the city’s transit system.
New video footage obtained by CP24 appears to show the events leading up to what the TTC has described as a ‘despicable swarming’ attack on two of its employees in Scarborough.
A Vaughan, Ont. man has been charged, and a warrant has been issued for a Brampton woman, after two people allegedly sold $500,000 worth of fraudulently issued plane tickets.
A jury of six men and six women handed down their verdict Thursday morning for the death of Ryan Babineau, who died after suffering nearly 70 stab wounds and lacerations.
London Transit riders will soon be able to bring their pets with them on the bus. At its meeting Wednesday night, the London Transit Commission endorsed a report to allow small domestic animals in carriers on buses.
A London woman sustained serious injuries and has been charged with impaired driving after she crashed into the back of a loaded hay wagon, police say.
Construction of a Consumption and Treatment Site (CTS) in Windsor is humming along — with a targeted opening of March for what’s being called “SafePoint.”
A commemoration to mark the sixth anniversary of Quebec's mosque shooting will be held for the first time inside the prayer room where six men were killed.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a female relative Wednesday morning in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante wants a review of an old bylaw that has prevented some residents in an east-end neighbourhood from parking their cars in their own driveways.
A soggy winter storm made its way to the Maritimes Thursday morning, with Environment Canada issuing a combination of rain, snow and wind warnings for the region.
The Manitoba government is issuing a second round of cheques to help people deal with inflation in a move that critics say has more to do with boosting the governing Progressive Conservatives' chances in the next election.
An expert in policing thinks the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) should use its cadets should be used to keep transit routes safe, but the service says patrolling buses would be too dangerous for cadets.
Whether you're interested in buying, renting or repairing, automotive experts are warning Canadians entering the vehicle market to bring extra money -- and patience.
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro says he felt sadness and disappointment when he discovered someone he considered to be a friend had posted a social media post that targeted him and his wife.
The city has launched the first of several changes to its 2023 residential parking permit program, and if you think parking permits are now going to cost you, you're right.
A 50-year-old teacher in Edson, Alta., who was charged with sex offences against a child in November is facing accusations that he sexually assaulted three additional people.
The Alberta government says it is pausing private passenger vehicle insurance rate increases through the end of 2023 after hearing concerns from drivers about affordability, but experts say most drivers will still see a rate increase.
The provincial government has unveiled its plan to bring more physicians to areas that are currently underserved, but some doctors aren't convinced the strategy will address the real problem.
Authorities say an assault and stabbing near a Mission daycare on Wednesday was likely targeted, and the 32-year-old victim is working with investigators.
The independent body that oversees the safety of technical systems and equipment in British Columbia has found a deadly ammonia leak near Kamloops last May was a tragedy that took years to unfold.
Canada is sending four combat-ready battle tanks to Ukraine and will be deploying 'a number' of Canadian Armed Forces members to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to operate them.
The CEO of Via Rail says that after a tree fell on a passenger train as it travelled on CN Rail tracks during the holidays, it took the freight company longer than hoped to clear it -- and passengers on board were stuck for 18 hours.
Liberal member of Parliament and former cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan has announced that she is taking an immediate medical leave due to a 'physical health challenge.'
New research indicates that head injuries are associated with two to three times higher mortality rates in adults, with neurodegenerative diseases more likely following instances of head trauma.
Shares of BuzzFeed Inc. extended gains to more than double in value on Thursday on reports the digital media firm was planning to use artificial intelligence to personalize and enhance its online quizzes and content.
Egypt on Thursday unveiled dozens of new archeological discoveries, including two ancient tombs, at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside of the capital Cairo.
Sarah Del Seronde is a big believer in interrogating the word 'legacy,' particularly as it relates to her late husband, the filmmaker Jeff Barnaby. Before his death in October, the 46-year-old had an outsized influence on Indigenous storytelling -- and Seronde said that part of his work is ongoing.
Shares of BuzzFeed Inc. extended gains to more than double in value on Thursday on reports the digital media firm was planning to use artificial intelligence to personalize and enhance its online quizzes and content.
The federal privacy watchdog says Home Depot shared details from electronic receipts with Meta, which operates the Facebook social media platform, without the knowledge or consent of customers.
A landmark lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department against Alphabet's Google over its dominance of advertising technology could help rivals and websites that sell ad space, but leaves an uncertain future for the advertisers themselves, experts told Reuters.
A Canadian charity is helping individuals with mental health struggles -- not with medication or therapy -- but by helping applicants start their own businesses.
Elena Rybakina, a 23-year-old who represents Kazakhstan, reached her second final in a span of three major tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 at the Australian Open on Thursday, signalling a rapid rise toward the top of tennis.
The head of France's professional handball league resigned Wednesday after pleading guilty to child corruption and child pornography charges -- the country's latest sports scandal before it hosts next year's Paris Olympics.
The IOC made clear Wednesday it wants Russians to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics as neutral athletes, in defiance of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call to exclude them entirely.
Tesla said it intends to invest US$3.6 billion to expand manufacturing capabilities in Nevada and is confident growing software-related profits, reflected in record net income reported Wednesday for the fourth quarter of last year, will keep margins higher than any other automaker.
Toyota set up a new leadership team Thursday in what the Japanese automaker said was a move to stay abreast of social changes like electrification and becoming a wider 'mobility company.'
