Halifax Regional Police are warning the public about a scam that has defrauded dozens senior in the last few months.
Police are looking to identify a suspect who is wanted for similar crimes in Vancouver.
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“Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been lost in our area over the past few months,” said HRP spokeswoman Kast. John McLeod.
The scam targets seniors, with the suspect pretending to be a loved one in need of bail money.
McLeod explained, “What they’re asking superiors to do is act immediately and provide the cash so they can release this person.”
Ron Hayward, chair of the Financial Security Advocacy Committee for the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), said it’s a well-known scam that unfortunately still works.
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“You ask someone about the grandparenting plan, ‘Have you heard about it?’ ‘Oh yes, yes, but I will not fall for his bluff.’ Yet, they are falling for it,” he said.
“And it really bothers us that there are people out there who take advantage of kind, nice people.”
HRP’s Financial Crimes Unit has received reports of dozens of scams, and in some cases, fraudsters claiming to be bail bondsmen, police officers or lawyers.
“This is not something we do, and we want the public to know that they should never expect us to show up at your door and ask for money to release someone,” McLeod said.
Police have previously charged a man found in New Brunswick in connection with these calls, but others are also involved.
“We have released his picture and his description to the public. And again, it’s one of those that’s visible. We want this person to be identified and action taken.”
The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, about six feet tall with short black hair.
HRP confirmed they are working with the Vancouver Police Department as it is believed Halifax is the suspect The same man was wanted for similar crimes outside the West.
“We’ve always known that these scammers are prolific and they move around, and that’s one of the things that makes it really difficult to solve these cases,” said Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department.
“That’s because these scammers are moving in and out of Vancouver, in and out of other major cities, and in a lot of cases moving back and forth across the country.”
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Meanwhile, Hayward is warning seniors to be cautious.
“If you get a phone call and you don’t know the number, don’t answer it. If you get into the situation we talked about, call a trusted friend, call the police, Call someone up and say, ‘Is this for real?’
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