Police warn of spike in ‘grandparent scams’ in York Region; victims lost $50K in last week

Police in York Region are warning residents of a rise in “grandparent scams” and say victims have lost more than $50,000 in the fraud schemes over the last week.

In a release on Thursday, York Regional Police say they have noticed an increase in victims reporting the scams where criminals “prey on a grandparent’s bond with their grandchild, in an effort to defraud them.”

Police say 13 such incidents have been reported in York Region in the last week, with more than $50,000 being lost by victims. Most of the reported incidents came from people living in Newmarket and Aurora.

Related:

• Suspects charged in ‘grandparent scam’ crime ring in Durham Region

• Ajax woman arrested in fraud scam targeting 2 seniors: Toronto police

During the scam, a suspect will usually call elderly or vulnerable residents and pose as their grandchildren, pretending to be in some sort of financial or legal distress. A second suspect will often pose as an official who provides the seniors with instructions on how to deliver money to help their grandchild.

“These type of frauds may be repeated over the course of days, weeks or even months, as the criminals gain the trust of their victims,” police say.

Investigators say the schemes have spiked in 2022 compared to last year, and victims have lost just under $1 million in the scams since 2019.

Police believe there are more victims who have yet to come forward.

Crime prevention tips from police:

• Never offer personal or financial information to the caller
• Call the grandchild or family member in question, at a phone number you recognize as their own
• Ask the caller personal questions that only your grandchild could answer but an imposter could not
• Verify the story or information with family first
• Press the caller for details if they identify as a government official and verify their information
• Never send money to someone you don’t know
• Please take some time and ask yourself: “Could this be a scam?” “Does it make sense?”

York police have a list of known scams and tips on how to avoid becoming victim on their website.