Portage la Prairie woman loses $7,200 in grandparent scam

An 87-year-old woman in Portage la Prairie lost more than $7,200 in what RCMP say was a 'sophisticated' scam after she got a call for help from a man she thought was her grandson.

Mounties say the woman got a phone call on the evening of April 28. The voice on the other end of the line claimed to be her grandson. He told her that he had been in a crash and had hit a pregnant woman, and was now in police custody.

The man speaking to the woman then told her to call his lawyer and gave her a phone number.

When the woman phoned the number, another man answered pretending to be the lawyer. The woman was told to get cash from the bank and someone would come to the home to pick it up. She was told to not tell anyone about this as it was a confidential matter.

The RCMP said the woman went to the bank to withdraw the money. When she returned home, a man came to pick up the cash and then left.

The woman was concerned when she didn't hear back from the lawyer or her grandson. RCMP said when she tried calling the number back, nobody answered.

It was only after she called family members that she found out her grandson was at work.

Tara Seel, a media relations officer with Manitoba RCMP, said this was a 'sophisticated' scam with a lot of moving parts.

"She was a victim of someone who is quite savvy and able to convince her that she was doing the right thing by her grandson," Seel said. "Any one of us could become a victim. That's why it's so important to educate ourselves and to be very critical and ask a lot of questions."

Seel said Manitoba RCMP has seen a spike in these kinds of scams – and it is not just grandparents falling victim to them.

"Unfortunately, you know, grandparents who are trying to help their grandchildren are getting caught up in the scams," she said. "But really it could happen to anybody."

She suggests if you receive a call like this, to hang up and call a known family member directly on a familiar number to confirm the information.

The RCMP also reminds Manitobans bail is not paid in cash in Canada.

She said in this case, as there was face-to-face contact when the man showed up at the door to collect the money, RCMP has a lead to follow. The suspect is described as a man in his mid 20s with curly black hair. He was wearing a black long-sleeve vest-type jacket and dark pants.