A 50-year-old Victoria resident is the latest victim of the "nephew" scam, after someone impersonating a relative in trouble successfully bilked the victim out of $2,000 last week.
This time, the scam was initiated by a man who claimed to be the victim's nephew, followed by a call from another man pretending to be a lawyer.
The callers claimed the victim's nephew had been arrested for drinking and driving in Ontario, and that they needed bail money.
After the victim wired the money, the real nephew was contacted which revealed the fraud.
“To help minimize your chances of falling victim to one of these elaborate scams, do your research," said Det. Dawndra Tolsma of VicPD’s financial crimes section. "Check with other family members, ask questions that only the real family member would know … or call local police departments. The best person to lookout for you is you.”
VicPD is reminding residents to educate themselves during Fraud Prevention Month in March. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is Canada’s leading online resource for scams.