CALGARY — Police in Alberta say seniors are being targeted by scammers who prey on their love for their grandchildren.
The so-called grandparent scam involves people pretending to be grandchildren who are facing a crisis.
They call seniors and plead for help, asking that money be wired as soon as possible.
Police say that the caller will often pretend to be embarrassed by their predicament and beg the grandparent not to tell anyone else what has happened.
Const. Deanna Schmaltz says an Alberta phone fraud group has reports of nine such scams being tried in the first quarter of this year.
Eighty-six-year-old Mabel Fielding says she almost lost $5,000 when she was contacted by someone posing as her grandson, but was saved when a bank teller pointed out it could be a ruse.