Scams are a common and serious threat to the safety and well-being of our community. Scammers use various tricks and tactics to deceive people into giving them money or personal information. They often target seniors, newcomers, and vulnerable people, but anyone can fall victim to a scam.
In this months article, I will discuss some of the most common scams affecting our community, both online and offline, and how to avoid them. I will also share some resources and contacts to help you report and prevent scams.
The Grandparent Scam The grandparent scam is a type of emergency scam that targets older adults. The scammer pretends to be a grandchild or a relative in trouble and asks for money urgently. They may claim to have been in an accident, arrested, or stranded in another country. They may also ask the victim not to tell anyone else and to send the money through a wire transfer service or a courier. In some cases the scammers will use AI and fake social media profiles to harvest personal and private information from their targets; be cautious of random friend requests on Social Media, particularly those which come by way of a flattering comment on one of your public social media posts or comment. If the comment starts with something like “I hope you do not find me too forward but I really like what you have to say...” Does this look familiar? Once these fake profiles are “Friends” they have access to all of the private information you only share with friends, this can include pet names, place of birth, mothers maiden name and names and activities of family members including children and grandchildren. This is the start of a Pig Butchering scam, where a scammer builds trust with the victim and slowly drains their bank account, much like how a butcher drains a pig.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), emergency scams were named one of the top 10 frauds reported by seniors in 2021. The CAFC advises seniors to never offer information to the caller, verify the story by calling the parents or other relatives of the supposed grandchild, never wire money to someone under uncertain conditions, and report the scam to the police and the CAFC
Marketplace Scams Marketplace scam are a type of online shopping scam involving the buying or selling goods on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Kijiji and others. The scammer may offer a product at a very low price, but ask for a deposit or a payment in advance. They may also send fake shipping information or screenshots to make it look like they have sent the item. However, the item never arrives and the scammer disappears with the money.
Recently I posted an alert via my BC Crimewatch Facebook page where the Richmond RCMP reported two incidents of sleight of hand theft involving high dollar items being stolen during Facebook Marketplace transactions. The seller met with the buyer, who offered payment in cash. The buyer counted the cash in front of the seller and placed it in an envelope. While the seller was distracted, the envelope was switched out for an envelope containing plain pieces of paper. The RCMP advises sellers to only meet in public locations with security cameras, preferably at a police detachment, and to be aware of this technique.
I have also noticed a number of scams involving the sale of food items such as eggs and potatoes at bargain prices; be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, use a secure and traceable payment method, and report any scam to the platform, the police, and the CAFC. Note, Interac Email transfers are rarely recoverable, once the money is deposited.
How to Report and Prevent Scams If you encounter or suspect a scam, do not hesitate to report it to the authorities and warn your neighbours. Reporting scams can help stop the scammers and protect others from falling victim to them. Many scams go unreported because those who were scammed are embarrassed. There is no reason to be embarrassed about being scammed, reporting a scam can help put a stop to the scammers as awareness is power.
Here are some resources and contacts that can help you report and prevent scams:
Delta Police Department: You can contact the Delta Police Department at 604-946-4411 to report any scam or fraud that occurs in our community.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: The CAFC is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on scams and frauds. You can contact them at 1-888-495-8501 You can also visit their website https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca for more information and alerts on the latest scams and trends.
Reporting Scam Text Messages: If you receive a text message which you suspect is a scam of any sort, you can forward the text message to 7726 (SPAM on most Smartphone Keypads)