North Vancouver RCMP is urging caution after an increase in scams targeting seniors.
“We’ve seen an increase in scams targeting older citizens in our community and we’re asking for everyone to help spread the word,” said North Van RCMP.
“A call from a relative who needs to get bailed out of jail with money is a scam. Hang up and call police to verify.”
Fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians, according to Government of Canada sources.
Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted more than others.
Some of the reasons are that they are often home during the day to answer the door or phone, they can be more
trusting and they may not have family or friends close by to ask for a second opinion.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says there has been an increase in online scams that target individuals in isolation due to the lock downs and travel restrictions.
This includes fraudsters targeting people looking for companionship or love through dating sites and social media.
With valentine’s day just around the corner, Canadians should be on the lookout for romance scams.
In 2020 alone, Canadians lost more than $18.5 million to this scam.
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