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Kelowna  

Kelowna RCMP warn of grandparent emergency phone scam

Scammed out of $14,000

Kelowna RCMP are cautioning the public after a local grandmother was conned out of thousands of dollars.

The Kelowna senior answered a fraudulent phone call in December from someone claiming to be her adult grandson. The scammer, who sounded desperate and distressed, told her he was in legal trouble and that he urgently needed money.

The con-artist claimed to have been involved in a car crash and desperately needed funds for the related damages.

“The victim, a Kelowna grandmother in her late 70s, sadly transferred $14,000 in Canadian funds to the con artist, to two separate accounts, to support the costs he claimed were associated (to) his legal troubles,” says Const. Solana Paré.

“In some cases, the scammer will play on the victims’ emotions and sense of loyalty, telling them they are the only person they trust enough to call for help.”   

The public should be mindful that these scammers often mine open or public social media pages, online websites or even family genealogy sites for the information they need to trick their victims. In some cases, the victims will unknowingly provide the suspect with personal information over the phone.  



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