The acting talent of an 86-year-old woman and the vigilance of a credit union worker allowed Sûreté du Québec police to arrest two scammers in Acton Vale, Montérégie, Tuesday afternoon.
In this case, the victim was nearly cheated out of several thousand dollars in a “grandparent” scam, one of the most common scams used by scammers.
On Tuesday morning, the 86-year-old grandmother received a call from someone who identified themselves as a lawyer.
He mentions to the woman that his grandson was involved in a traffic accident, that he injured a pregnant woman and that the life of the unborn child is in danger.
The so-called lawyer asks the grandmother to post bail for her grandson so that he can regain his freedom.
Amount to be paid: $6,250, in “increments of $100,” the attorney warns.
The problem is that the man on the phone isn’t a lawyer and never has been. He is a ruthless scammer who wants to cheat the eldest by giving her very specific instructions on how to pay her grandson’s bail.
Worried, the octogenarian goes to a credit union to make a withdrawal.
Quick-witted, the bank employee asks the woman the reasons for her deduction and since she has the strong suspicion that her customer is the target of a scam, she prefers to refuse to pay her the requested amount.
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When she gets home, the eighty-year-old is visited by her daughter, who immediately calls the police after hearing her mother’s story.
These are also in the victim when the scammer communicates with the 86-year-old woman again.
Playing the comedy beautifully, the grandmother managed to pretend that she actually had the $6,250 in her hands and was ready to hand over the money.
A 19-year-old woman then came to the woman’s home to collect the money, but was instead greeted by Sûreté du Québec officers who handcuffed her.
Other police officers guarding the area arrested a 23-year-old man in a vehicle parked near the address.
The duo were released with a promise to perform at a later date.
“Thanks to the vigilance of everyone involved, two people were arrested before there were any more casualties,” summarizes Sergeant Valérie Beauchamp, spokeswoman for the Sûreté du Québec.
Call for vigilance
This Acton Vale grandmother’s story is not uncommon: In recent weeks, the Sûreté du Québec says it has received “multiple reports” of “grandparent” scams in the province. Every time it’s the elderly who are targeted by the criminals.
“Scammers use various methods to achieve their goals and extort money from their victims. They take advantage of the vulnerability of certain older people to put pressure on them. That’s why you always have to do the necessary checks before trusting anyone,” said the SQ spokesman.
Prevention tips:
– Never give money to a stranger or to someone whose identity you have not verified.
-If an individual claims to be acting on behalf of an organization, contact the organization directly.
– Never provide personal information to a person who cannot prove their legitimacy.
-If someone is too insistent or even rude (for example: he demands an immediate answer), don’t trust him;
– Call the person’s parents, another family member or friends to verify the validity of the story presented to you.