Chase family scammed out of $3,000 following fake Mexico emergency

Photo: Brendan Kergin

Chase RCMP are warning the public after a local family was scammed out of $3,000.

Yesterday (Nov. 24), the father received a phone call, according to a police press release; on the other end was a crying male who said something along the lines of, “Dad, I've been in a bad accident in Mexico, I'm injured and I'm in jail — you'll get a phone call from my lawyer next.”

Though the caller didn't sound like his son, the father thought that might have been because of the situation his presumed son was in. The dad knew his real son had been in Mexico recently, but didn't know he was home again.

Shortly after, another person called. They claimed to be the lawyer and said $3,000 needed to be sent quickly to Mexico so the son could be released. If the family didn't act fast, the son could spend a month in jail, the 'lawyer' claimed.

"The so-called ‘lawyer’ guided them through the process of sending the money by MoneyGram, which was done at the post office. The complainant realized too late that they were victims of a scam," writes Sgt. Barry Kennedy in the release.

He adds that so far this year more than $79.5 million has been lost to fraud in Canada.