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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.