‘Just Hang Up’: New campaign working to protect older Manitobans from phone scams

The Manitoba government and Winnipeg police are launching a new campaign to help protect older adults from fraud.

Ahead of Fraud Prevention Month in March, Winnipeg police and the Manitoba government are working to help older adults avoid being scammed.

A new campaign called Just Hang Up is focused on ensuring older adults are protected both financially and emotionally in case a scam attempt is made.

The campaign puts a spotlight on what is known as a grandparent scam—when someone calls a senior, pretends to be a loved one or person of authority and creates a scenario where the loved one is in trouble and the only way to fix the problem is by sending money.

“‘Just Hang Up’ encourages people to stop the fraud in its tracks. Hang up early and shut the scam down. The simple message to pause, hang up, verify and then report can help prevent further victimization and assist in criminal investigations,” Const. Dani McKinnon said.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, adults over 60 in the province lost around $350,000 to these types of scams in 2024.

Insp. Jennifer McKinnon with the major crimes division said there are a number of red flags people need to watch out for if they receive one of these calls.

Firstly, they will create a sense of urgency, not giving the older adult any time to think.

Secondly, they are going to beg that parents or other family members do not get told what is happening.

Thirdly, a second person may join the conversation posing as a lawyer, police officer or bail bondsman to make the call seem more real.

“They often ask for wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards and even sending a courier, it could be Uber, to your home,” said McKinnon. “What I can assure you is law enforcement will never request bail money over the phone or send someone to your home to collect cash or gift cards.”

She added to never trust the caller ID, as technology and AI can alter it, as well as to never give personal information over the phone.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said this campaign gives the children and caregivers of these adults the information they need to talk about any incidents.

While this scam can cause emotional and financial pain for the senior, Wiebe said it can also put a strain on the entire family.

“The tactics behind these scams are becoming more and more sophisticated every single year,” said Wiebe.

The new campaign will use a number of platforms to reach these older adults, including TV, radio, social media and transit.

Wiebe noted this campaign is also working to remove the stigma of these scams to encourage people to report if they have been targeted.

“Being targeted by a scam is not a sign of weakness; It’s something that can happen to absolutely anyone and reporting it helps protect others.”

The government provided $134,000 from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to create this campaign.