The Greater Sudbury Police Service is reminding the community, both private citizens and local business owners, of two scams for which alerts were issued in 2014 and that have resurfaced already in our area since the New Year. `Grandparent` Scam - Senior citizens are often the target group and the caller claims to be a relative, or calling on behalf of a relative who find themselves outside of the country. - There is a demand for money to be sent, by wire, in order to pay for injuries their `loved one` suffered as a result of a collision or to pay legal fees because their `loved one` has been arrested for impaired or other crime. - The victim is then urged not to call other family members because their `loved one` is ashamed. - The people on the phone are very convincing and are able to solicit names from their victims, making it sound more personal. The public is asked to help educate potential victims as most are elderly. If anyone is aware of someone that could be vulnerable to this scam, please ensure them that no amount of money is needed to help their loved one in these circumstances and that they not send money unless they speak to family members or friends they trust. `Utility Disconnect` Scam - Citizens and Businesses can both be targeted. - The caller claims to be calling from a local Utility Company and threatens the victim that, unless they pay right away by way of credit card or an internet enabled payment method, their service will be cut off immediately. - The victim is provided with a toll-free phone number to call with their payment information and is advised not to call the Utility Company directly. Utility Companies have practices in place when dealing with overdue accounts, which do not include a phone call with threats to cut off services if payment is not received right away. Everyone should be alert for fraudulent phone calls. Do not give personal information over the phone. Call the local number on your utility bill if you want to speak with someone about your account. If you are the victim of a fraud or attempted fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8901 / the Greater Sudbury Police Service 705-675-9171.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:55:36 +0000
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