Vancouver seniors scammed out of $3 million
Posted March 20, 2019 10:13 am.
Last Updated March 20, 2019 7:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Fraudsters have taken advantage of five seniors in Vancouver, taking a total of $3.1 million.
The scams started with a phone call on a landline. The VPD says the victims were all convinced the person on the other end of the call was either a worker at a jewellery store or a police officer. They were told their credit card had been fraudulently used or that officers needed their help with a fraud investigation.
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The scammers then told the seniors to hang up and call their bank or 9-1-1 right away.
However, the scammers didn’t hang up their end of the call — and when the seniors did a quick “hang-up, pick up” on their landline, the suspects played a recording of a dial tone before answering, pretending to either be a police officer or bank rep.
The ruse continued with more back-and-forth phone calls. The victims were eventually convinced to transfer large amounts of money to overseas accounts.
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The VPD says investigators were able to recover just over $2.5 million, but are warning everyone to be aware of scams like this one.
“When you use a hardline phone, anytime you hang up there is an opportunity for someone to still be connected with you on the other line,” Sgt. Jason Robillard said. “Consider using a cell phone or make sure you are disconnected after you hang up.”
Police think there may be more victims of this scam who have not yet come forward. If you’ve been targeted, you’re asked to call VPD investigators at 604-717-0503.
