Seniors lost $4.2M to grandparent scams this year. Here's how one Ontario man had $8,000 stolen
When the phone rang, Stuart Irvine of Mississauga, Ont., wasn’t sure who was on the other end of the line, but then a voice said, “Grampy, it’s me.”
Irvine said “That’s when I thought ‘That sounds like my grandson Cody,’ so I stupidly said ‘Cody is that you?’ And that’s all they needed.”
Irvine says he was told his grandson needed bail money after narcotics were found in his friend's car. Irvine also says he was told not to tell any other family members or friends as there was a gag order in the case.
He said he was directed to get $8,000 cash from the bank and a courier would come to his home to pick up the money.
That’s when Irvine said he decided to call his grandson Cody directly.
“I said to him, ‘Were you downtown yesterday?’ and he said, ‘No. Was I supposed to be?’ That's when the thunder roared and the crash came and I thought ‘I’ve been had.’"
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), the grandparent scam is now rampant across the country as criminals take advantage of grandparents and their love for their grandchildren.
“It's difficult to say why we are seeing such an increase because reporting (of the grandparent emergency scam) is on pace to nearly double this year,” Jeff Horncastle with communications at CAFC told CTV News Toronto.
CAFC said that Canadians lost $2.4 million to the grandparent and emergency scam in 2021, however, that number has almost doubled to $4.2 million already in 2022.
Irvine said looking back something didn’t feel right and he wishes he would have followed his instincts.
“In my mind I was constantly thinking this could be a scam. But I didn't have the guts to stop it because I was thinking of my grandson" said Irvine.
The CAFC advises to be suspicious of calls that demand immediate action, remember law enforcement officers will not seek immediate payment, never send money to anyone under uncertain conditions and that if the situation doesn’t feel right don’t be afraid to say no.
Irvine says he wanted to share what happened to him to warn other grandparents and wants to remind them to never be the first to say their grandchild's name. If called, Irvine says to ask questions only your family members would know such as the name of a family pet, a siblings name or where you spend the holidays.
“I would say it's the worst thing that has happened with money in my life," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.