RCMP warn Island seniors about fraudsters and scam tactics

RCMP spoke with seniors about the dangers of frauds and scams at a community event at the Milton Community Hall.

Const.Gavin Moore from the RCMP's major crimes unit spoke about what he called "crimes of persuasion" where fraudsters use changing tactics to convince people to send money.

"They are well practiced and they evolve so as a scam becomes more well known, they willtweakit or change it or move it around so that it is new or fresh and then they will go after more victims," Moore said.

Somebody has to deceive us in some waythat is just embarrassing for anybody so for that reason a lot of fraud doesn't get reported. Const. Gavin Moore

More than 20 people attended the lunch and learnevent organized by the rural municipality of MiltonvalePark, P.E.I.

Charlottetown resident Dianne Corrigan was one of the people in attendance.

She said she sees seniors as being particularlyvulnerable because they want to help others.

"When you think that it is someone personal like your grandchild, it's a different thing, you react," said Charlottetown residentDianneCorrigan.

"Immediately, you are going to go and offer whateverhelp you can."

She said her sister was woken in the middle of the night by someone who claimed to be her grandson who had been in an accident. According to Corrigan, he claimed his injuries had changed hisvoice and he needed money to get help right away.

"She got up and went and sent him the money because she didn't have much time to think about it," Corrigan said.

"Becausethere was thaturgency that they were talking about today."

Police ask victims to report the frauds

Her sister checked with other family members after and discovered that it was a scam but it was too late, the money was gone.

Corrigan doesn't think her sister ever reported the lost several hundred dollarsto the police and Const. Moore said that is unfortunately common as manyoffrauds go unreported.

"In order to be defrauded, we need to be duped," Moore said.

"Somebody has to deceive us in some way that is just embarrassing for anybody so for that reason a lot of fraud doesn't get reported."

People who have been victims of a scam are urged to contact the police, Moore said, as one of the reasons isso they can keep track of the methods the scammers usein order to help others avoid the fraud in the first place.

'There is a scam out there for everybody'

Moore said that there is a lot of interest in the information sessions about frauds and scams, not just from seniors.

"I would argue that there is a scam out there for everybody so it is not necessarilyjust seniors, it may just be the methods that are used," he said.

"Scammers are after anybody that has money and sometimes seniors have a regular source of income through pension, or what have you, that makes them an attractive target for a scammer."

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