OPP officials allege: On December 5, 2024, Lambton County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was contacted by a Corunna resident who reported losing more than $8500 in an “Emergency/Grandparent Scam”.
The victim explained to police that on December 4, 2024, they received a phone call from an individual, whom they believed was their grandchild needing a sum of money for an emergency.
The victim was then transferred to a lawyer, said to be handling the case.
Arrangements were made and the victim’s residence was attended by an unknown individual to collect the money.
The suspect is described as a male, 30 years-of-age, approximately 5’10 tall, dark hair, dark complexion, wearing a face mask.
The individual contacted the victim a second time and attempted to obtain an additional $8200, which they were unsuccessful due to intervention from the bank.
The investigation is ongoing.
Be aware of some warning signs:
Urgency – The requester always makes the request sound very urgent, which may cause the victim to not verify the story.
Fear – The scammer plays on the victim’s emotions by generating a sense of fear. For example, they may say, “I am scared and need help from you.”
Secrecy – The scammer pleads with the victim not to tell anyone about the situation, such as, “Please don’t tell Dad, he would be so mad.”
To avoid becoming a victim, police advise you to first check with another family member or trusted friend to verify the information BEFORE sending money or providing credit card information by phone or e-mail.
It is vitally important that the incident be reported every time it occurs, to allow police to investigate and prevent others of becoming victims.
If you have any information that may assist the investigation, please contact Lambton OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
