THUNDER BAY – “Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?” That is the line used by con artists who are attempting to prey on senior citizens. Once the Grandmother says, “Is that you…?” it opens the door for the scammer to rip off the unsuspecting senior.
The usual route is that the grandchild has been in a car accident, or has been arrested and needs money for a lawyer. The scammer then asks for money, usually several thousand dollars to be wired to them.
The common approach is for the scammer to tell the unsuspecting grandparent “Don’t tell mom or dad, they will be really angry”.
The goal of the scammers is to prey on the emotions of the senior citizen.
NetNewsledger.com has received reports of calls being made into Northwestern Ontario by these rip-off artists.
The best advice for seniors, who might receive such a call is to ignore them, call the grandchild themselves to make sure things are alright.