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Victoria senior scammed out of $8,000 by man posing as grandson

VicPD warn phone scams against seniors have become commonplace

A Victoria senior is short almost $8,000 after falling victim to a "grandson scam" earlier this week.

The woman received a call Dec. 10 from a man pretending to be her grandson, who claimed he had been in a collision and was now in jail in Victoria, said VicPD Const. Mike Russell.

The woman was contacted the next day by two other people who passed themselves off as a lawyer and mediator, both claiming that two $4,000 deposits needed to be made to insurance companies outside Victoria.

The victim paid both deposits and even received a follow up call from the man pretending to be her grandson.

But when she called her son to inquire about her grandson's wellbeing, the woman realized she'd been duped.

"Officers investigated, but the true identifies of the scammers could not be found, and they are very likely from out of country," Russell said.

Police warn these types of phone scams against seniors are becoming commonplace. Russell reminds anyone receiving calls where the person is asking for money to follow up with family members or a trusted contact before transferring funds, and to contact police if the call is suspicious.

Scams can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.