MHPS warning residents about grandparent scam

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 23, 2023.

The Medicine Hat Police Service has received reports of a recurring scam popping back up in the city.

The “Emergency Scam,” sometimes called the “Grandparent Scam,” is a common phone scam and MHPS says a Medicine Hat resident was recently the victim of such. They are looking to remind the community to be aware of this scam and to warn their relatives.

The scam involves fraudsters contacting potential victims while posing as a family member or friend in urgent need of cash. It begins with the face scenario involving an accident or arrest while travelling abroad, with a request that cash be sent through a money transfer.

MHPS says in the typical scenario, a grandparent receives a phone call from a con-artist pretending to be their grandchildren. The caller will sometime say that they are in trouble, usually a car accident, returning from a foreign country, or even in jail and need money immediately.

Police ask if anyone has received such a request for money, to take measures to verify the requestor’s identity and the legitimacy of their story before you complete the transaction. If anyone has fallen victim to this scam, and has not already reported it, they’re urged to contact MHPS at 403-529-8481.

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