March is Fraud Prevention Month. As the Winnipeg Police recognizes that some of the most vulnerable citizens are seniors, they’ve released a list of the most common scams and frauds the elderly encounter.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has released the statistics for the top 10 schemes (based on dollar loss) reported by Canadian seniors in 2015:
|
Complaint Type |
Complaints | Victims | Dollar Loss |
| Romance | 313 | 213 | $7,176,843.41 |
| Prize | 2,168 | 427 | $5,892,353.93 |
| Investments | 79 | 66 | $3,532,029.27 |
| Emergency | 742 | 312 | $2,231,307.03 |
| Service | 2,740 | 1,090 | $1,795,240.65 |
| Extortion | 7,425 | 309 | $1,087,411.51 |
| Inheritance | 631 | 27 | $934,937.35 |
| Timeshare | 46 | 36 | $830,822.11 |
| Nigeria (Scam Letters) | 98 | 7 | $668,761.78 |
| Other | 304 | 49 | $557,323.40 |
One of the common scams is the “Grandparent Emergency” scam. In this scam, a person calls a senior and while acting very panicked asks “Grandma” or “Grandpa” for money to help with a problem. “The problem” is often legal, where a fine and lawyer fees need to be paid. The senior then sends money by a money transfer service. The money is picked up by the fraudster and cannot be recovered. The best way to prevent this is open communication. Call your family and ask if your relative is in trouble.
There are many ways that you can protect yourself from frauds and scams. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some other helpful tips to consider:
- Don’t be afraid to say NO.
- Take time to collect more information before making a decision.
- Ask advice from someone you trust.
- Make sure all your questions are answered.
- Don’t feel pressured into committing before you have a chance to think things over or collect additional information.
- Don’t give out any personal information to anyone you do not know or trust.
- Ignore and delete suspicious emails asking for money transfers or personal information.
For more information on the programs and services available to older adults, please call the Seniors Information Line at 204-945-6565 or toll free 1-800-665-6565. For more information about frauds go to www.antifraudcentre.ca.
The police are hosting a FREE shredding event at St. Vital Centre on March 24th, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Look for the Shred-It van in the parking lot. There is a maximum of two bags or boxes per person.
– MyToba News
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