Laura Tamblyn Watts, president and CEO of CanAge, wants people to be aware of scams that are targeting Canadians this Fraud Prevention Month.
A seniors’ advocate wants people to be aware of common scams, particularly the “grandparent scam,” as Canada enters its annual Fraud Prevention Month.
President and CEO of advocacy group CanAge Laura Tamblyn Watts said events such as Fraud Prevention Month, which occurs nationally every March, comes with a goal of spreading “awareness and destigmatization.”
In January, Ottawa police warned people of a “grandparent scam” that’s active in the area. The scam typically involves a teary-eyed scenario where the caller — who claims to be a family member, oftentimes a grandchild — urgently needs money.
Watts told The Sam Laprade Show the scam usually only involves the fraudster calling a grandparent and greeting them as if they were their grandchild. Upon greeting, the grandparent typically responds by asking if they’re speaking to their grandchild, disclosing their name in the process.
“We try to let people know that this is out there so that they’re alive to it,” she said. “And if they get caught by it, not to be ashamed but to be able to tell people that it’s happened so we can try to put a stop to it as quickly as possible.”
She said part of this scam is that the so-called “grandchild” wants the grandparent to not tell their parents.
“It’s playing on this special relationship that grandparents have with…
