An 80-year-old St. Albert grandmother almost lost her savings to Dominican scam artists this week. She thought she was helping her grandson.
An 80-year-old St. Albert grandmother almost lost her savings to Dominican scam artists this week. She thought she was helping her grandson.
Murray Fjeld said he received a call from his mother-in-law on Wednesday about her grandson, Matt, being in jail. She said she needed to wire $1,200 to an accountant to get the grandson out of legal trouble.
Fjeld said he became suspicious when he heard that the accountant was in the Dominican Republic. He also thought the man's name, Vladimir Poljicak, was strange.
“I Googled his name and I find his name was involved in a scam with a grandmother in Cologna,” he said. “He did the exact same thing to her.”
Fjeld said his mother-in-law received a phone call by someone she thought was her grandson on Monday evening around 9:30 p.m. The ‘grandson' said he was in an accident while talking on the phone and was being held by police.
He then passed the phone to his ‘lawyer,' who told her to wire $1,200 to Poljicak. The lawyer said that her grandson could not contact anyone because the police took his cellphone away.
He called back two days later with the same instructions. That's when she called Fjeld to help her wire the money.
“I think if my mother-in-law was living in a city all by herself and didn't have anyone to go to, she would have done it,” he said. “She could not believe she didn't talk to Matt.”
Fjeld said his mother-in-law does not hear well, which made it easier to pretend being someone else on the phone. He also believes the scammers may know her and his nephew's name from her husband's obituary.
He has now contacted the RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. He also spoke to his nephew, who was well and at home.
He said the scammers gave his mother-in-law a number to call, which started with 809. The area code is from the Dominican Republic and similar numbers are often used to contact people about fraudulent million-dollar wins, he said.
“I just want to make people aware that this is happening out there,” he said. “For anybody's grandparents or parents, make sure they talk to someone first.”
Fraud affects everyone
But it's not just older people who fall victim to fraud. In recent months, several St. Albert residents of all ages were robbed of their money after being promised everything from quick cash to a beautiful vacation, said Cpl. Laurel Kading with the RCMP.
Many of these scammers can sound very honest and realistic. Some may even become your friend or pretend to love you, so you wire them money, she said.
“They can build a very realistic sounding pattern. They know what to say, they share amongst their people what works,” she said. “They will befriend you and they will be such nice people and it's really hard to say no to friends.”
One recent scam involves an enticing advertising that offers people an opportunity to become a ‘mystery shopper.' An employee of a company sends a letter with shopping tasks to the victim, and a cheque to help them fulfil their tasks. Once they receive the cheque, the victims are asked to send money back that was given ‘accidentally.' The victim later finds out that the cheque was counterfeit.
Other scam artists use common university or company names to offer great deals and get at people's money. They advertise through newspapers, phishing emails and phone calls and usually ask people to pay fees or wire money back for a service. Most people get nothing in return.
“(Scammers) prey on people's fears. They say ‘if you don't grab this, I have five other people that I am in the process of talking to,' ” she said.
Kading advises people to not trust anything that sounds too good to be true. They should talk to their family and friends, even if a ‘company' asks them to remain quiet about an offer. Legitimate organizations “are going to want you to spread information about them,” she said.
Victims of fraud or anyone suspecting fraud should always contact the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. While many scam artists are difficult to locate, getting information out about them helps protect others and can further investigations. She added that no one should feel hesitant to report a crime because they feel foolish or embarrassed.
“What we have to recognize is these people are professionals. They are very good at what they do and they could fool all of us,” she said. “Be willing to listen to people around you, your family, friends, the police. We can never guarantee a fraud but we can say that 99 per cent this is not good.”
To contact the RCMP in St. Albert, call 780-458-7700. For more information about fraud and to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre call 1-888-495-8501 or visit antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
