Elder Safety

Emergency frauds sometimes called grandparent scams, involve fraudsters contacting seniors or family members claiming that their grandchild or a loved one was in an accident, charged with an offence such as a DUI and drug offences. Fraudsters will claim that they are law enforcement officials, lawyers and even impersonate the grandchild/loved one. They’ll proceed to advise the victim that a payment for bail or fine is required immediately in order for the family member to avoid going to jail. Fraudsters will often claim that there is a “gag order” and the victim cannot discuss the occurrence with anyone. If the victim agrees to pay the requested amount, suspects will arrange to pick up the funds in person or will ask the victim to send cash in the mail.

Another variation the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) continues to receive reports of is the emergency scam email. Victims report receiving an email claiming to come from one of their email contacts. The email will ask for a favor: purchase gift cards because they’re ill or have lost their wallet. In some cases, the sender’s email account has been compromised or contact list has been obtained by the fraudsters.

The CAFC, and police agencies, are receiving reports about a fraudulent emergency text or social media message. The fraudster will claim to be a family member or loved one saying that their cellphone is broken or has been dropped in water. The fraudster will then supply an alternate phone number to send a text. The fraudster will try to ask for a favor by requesting funds from the victim to repair the broken phone or to pay a bill. 

Warning Signs - How to protect yourself

• Slow down and always verify the caller on the other end.

• If the caller claims to be a law enforcement official and asked you to pay a fine or bail, hang up and call your police directly.

• Listen to that inner voice that is screaming at you: "This doesn't sound right".

• Be careful what you post online. Scammers can use details shared on social media platforms and dating sites for targeting purposes. Suspects can easily gather names and details about your loved ones.

•Be suspicious of telephone calls that require you to immediately take action and request bail money for a family member in distress.

• Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from (spoof) and make it appear as a trusted phone number.

• If you receive an email or text message claiming to be from a friend or loved one asking for money, make the outgoing call to the person by looking up the legitimate phone number you have for them in your contact list.

• Use unique and strong passwords for all social media and email accounts.

Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police service and to CAFC.

The LPS often investigates fraudulent acts committed against seniors. Take time to learn about the “Grandchild Scam.”

How It Works:

• The fraud occurs over the phone and targets the elderly.

•The caller identifies himself as the elderly victim’s grandchild, sometimes by name, or sometimes by just saying, “Hi”, or “It’s me”.

•The caller will wait for the victim to respond with something to the effect of, “Oh John. Is that you?” thereby identifying the grandson for the fraudster.

• It is believed that in the instances where the caller identifies him/herself by a grandson’s

name without prompting, the information was obtained from published sources such as,

obituaries, classifieds, and social networking websites.

• The caller usually says that he has been involved in a car accident or that he has been

arrested and charged with a criminal offence and is thus in urgent need of cash to cover legal fees.

• After the money is sent via a money transfer service, the fraudsters sometimes call back

citing any number of reasons for requiring additional money, including, but not limited to,

hospital bills and car repairs.

• There may be other variations to this scam. 

Police ask that you consider the following:

• Ask the caller for a call back number. This gives you time to verify information. Be very suspicious if the caller refuses.

• Ask the caller a personal question only your grandchild could answer such as their date of birth.

• Speak to another family member about the matter before sending any money or enquire with police.

Scammers will contact you and state that there is a problem or emergency and that they require you to send them a payment using Bitcoin.

The people running these scams request these payments in Bitcoin to hide their true identity and make it harder to recover the funds.

Common scams can include:

• A warrant for your arrest has been issued
• You haven’t paid enough taxes
• There are pending immigration fines
• There are outstanding police or legal fees
• “Emergency” situations
• Online romantic interest starts requesting money
• In order to claim your lottery winnings, and
• Deposit or payments on property is required

The Canada Revenue Agency, Immigration Canada, the Police, or Canadian Government will NEVER ASK FOR BITCOIN as payment.

Never send money to someone you have not met in person.

If you suspect you are being defrauded, HANG UP THE PHONE and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or the London Police Service.

Property crime

Property crimes make up nine out of 10 of crimes against seniors. It is defined as any crime where money and/or valuables are damaged or stolen from a person, home or business without direct personal contact with the victim.

Property crimes against seniors can include:

• Burglary

• Auto theft

• Petty theft

Victims of property crime suffer financial losses and may feel violated. In some cases, victims continue to feel unsafe long after the crime has been committed.

Prevent Property Crime in The Home:

• Install timers on lights so they turn on and off at certain times.

• Trim back hedges and bushes (especially around windows and doors) to make your home visible from the street.

• Ask a neighbour to watch your property and collect mail and newspapers left at your doorstep when you are away.

• Install video surveillance.

Additional Tips:

• Plan for your future when you are well and still independent.

• Make a will and review it annually.

• Seek independent advice from someone you trust before signing any documents.

• Have your pension and other cheques deposited directly into your account.

• Stay active in your community and connected with family and friends. Doing so will decrease social isolation, which has been connected to elder abuse.

• Ask for help from those around you (i.e., public health nurse, church, senior centre, friends and

family) when you need it.

Physical Crimes

Our officers, in partnership with community service agencies, conduct criminal investigations in cases of elder abuse, including:

-Physical assault, including forcible confinement.

-Neglect, including criminal negligence, failing to provide the necessaries of life, and breach of duty.

-Psychological mistreatment, including harassing phone calls, uttering threats, and intimidation.

For a full list of local resources, visit: Help and Support Services page 

If you suspect a senior needs help, contact the LPS. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.