Veiner Centre releases statement on notorious ‘grandparent’ phone scam

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on June 27, 2025.

The Unison at Veiner Centre has released a press statement warning that seniors continue to remain at risk of getting scammed of their finances by criminals who pretend to be family members in need of immediate financial assistance.

According to the press release, the phone scams are evolving and can include fake donations that support victims who have experienced their home burning down, that never existed, to scam calls impersonating family members or friends that need money for bail out of jail.

“They’re calculated, cruel and everywhere,” reads the statement. “Unison works to protect seniors throughout workshops, scam alerts and public education, and we see the reality of targeted elder scams daily.”

According to the organization these targeted phone scams cost seniors in Canada more than $9 million every year.

“Victims often lost their savings and sometimes, their homes. Some arrive at the Unison Elder Abuse Shelter with nothing but the clothes on their backs.”

The press release, issued Wednesday, cites recent police raids in Montreal that occurred in an attempt to arrest Gareth West, an Onterio man who is allegedly running a scam-based group and has been accused by U.S. authorities of orchestrating similar scams that target American seniors.

West remains at large, “and so does the threat to Canadian seniors.”

Police in Medicine Hat arrested and charged three individuals following a grandparent scam attempt on June18.

Last October local police arrested and charged three suspects during a sting operation for their involvement in a similar phone scam that occurred in the Hat.

Variations of the scam can include someone pretending to be an old neighbour or friend of the family who is in an emergency situation and in distress, and require money to be sent to them immediately.

Scammers will typically ask for payments to be wired, or will request the codes from gift cards as well as sending a courier to collect cash.