Picton post office worker thwarts Grandparent Scam

An 88yr old Picton resident nearly fell victim to a scam known as the “Emergency or Grandparent Scam”  In the typical scenario, a grandparent receives a phone call from a con-artist claiming to be one of his or her grandchildren.  The caller goes on to say that they are in some kind of trouble and need money immediately. Typically they claim being in a car accident, are having trouble returning from a foreign country or they need bail money.

In this particular case, last Friday morning the victim received a phone call from a distraught female stating she was her granddaughter and that she had been involved in a car accident in Quebec.  The female went on to say she needed money to pay for the damage to the other vehicle.  The female then passed the phone to a male who stated he was a lawyer and suggested the victim send a money gram for $995 to him through the Post Office to clear up the matter.

The victim attended the Picton Post Office and started the process to send the money, but a postal worker recognized the situation as a possible scam and advised the victim not to complete the transaction.   After reflecting on the scenario, the victim realized the call from the distraught female was indeed fraudulent.

Prince Edward OPP reminds residents to be wary of any such calls and if they are suspicious in any way to hang up and contact the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 to report it.  To learn more about this topic visit the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre’s website at   www.antifraudcentre.ca