Victims of ‘grandparent scam’ to be reimbursed by province

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This article was published 21/12/2023 (651 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba plans to reimburse victims of a “grandparent scam” that occurred over a 10-day period in July 2022 during which seniors were defrauded out of a combined $145,400.

Fourteen Manitobans were victim to a scheme orchestrated by two Ontario residents who posed as relatives claiming to be in legal trouble and needing money, the province said in a news release Thursday.

The release states the scammers, who have been arrested and charged with fraud and theft, asked victims to provide cash in an envelope with a specific file number written on it.

An investigation undertaken by the Winnipeg Police Service recovered eight envelopes with false file numbers written by the victims, totalling $75,200.

“Police were able to secure surveillance footage of the scammers (picking up envelopes) in an illegally rented vehicle,” the justice department said.

Victims will be repaid via the department’s criminal property forfeiture fund, which is a pool of assets and proceeds from criminal activity.

“The people committing crimes like these can be quite convincing and will play on the emotions of the victim, which makes this even more upsetting,” Justin Minister Matt Wiebe said in a statement.

“The police and courts will never send someone to your house to collect money.”

The province warned that scams of this sort often involve a perpetrator who has researched obituaries before calling a potential victim and pretending to be a grandchild who has been arrested by police and requires cash to be released.

— Staff