After falling victim recently to a so-called “grandparent scam,” a local senior went to Greater Sudbury Police Service, which joined the Quebec RCMP by stopping the transmission of a package.
Inside the package was $10,000 in cash the senior had sent by Purolator to his would-be scammer. The man’s name was not released by police.
The man drove to Greater Sudbury Police Service headquarters in the middle of the night on Tuesday to report the incident, according to a media release issued by police.
The man was unsure of how to enter the building, so phoned 911 to get an officer dispatched to assist him. An officer brought him into the front entrance and covered him up to keep him warm, while another officer brought him a cup of coffee.
After hours, the front lobby is accessible by ringing the doorbell to the right of the main doors, and an emergency phone is mounted on the wall outside.
“During the interview, a few more officers arrived and all of them showed so much empathy and compassion by making sure that I was comfortable,” the man said in a media release issued by city police, adding that they helped “raise my internal shivering temperature along with my spirit.”
Following their interview, officers helped the man back to his vehicle and sent him on his way.
Puralator phoned the man at 10 a.m. the following morning to let him know that transmission of his package had been stopped and that it would be returned to be picked up in a few days.
“I would like to convey … my opinion that you can definitely be extremely proud of your force,” he said. “This occurrence showed not only extremely efficient service but also that this service is provided with empathy and compassion.”
The “grandparent scam” is a scam where a grandparent receives an unexpected telephone call from a person claiming to be their grandchild, according to a Toronto Police Service pamphlet on scams.
The caller will claim it is an emergency situation and ask that money be sent immediately.
Scammers obtain information from marketing lists, social networking sites and telephone listings. The grandchild’s name is either offered by the grandparent or found online, often from a family member’s obituary.
The Competition Bureau of Canada offers a few key tips to protect one’s self from this scam:
- Take time to verify the story. Scammers are counting on you wanting to quickly help your loved one in an emergency.
- Call the child's parents or friends to find out about their whereabouts.
- Ask the person on the phone questions that only your loved one would be able to answer and verify their identity before taking steps to help.
- Never send money to anyone you don't know and trust.
- Never give out any personal information to the caller.
