WESTLOCK — The Westlock RCMP are warning the public about a rise in attempted ‘grandparent’ scams, which have reportedly residents in Westlock, Clyde and Morinville.
According to a release, the victims received a call from a suspect claiming to be a loved one, whose voice was mostly likely ‘spoofed’ (ie. replicated) using AI. The ‘loved one’ said they had been arrested by the RCMP and needed help.
The suspect then came on the phone claiming to be a lawyer and asked for bail money. In some cases, they told the victims to withdraw cash and deposit it in a crypto wallet through a bitcoin ATM. In other cases, they stated someone would come to their residence and collect the funds.
While these grandparent scams have been reported locally, they remain a problem throughout Alberta and Canada.
Typically, the suspects in grandparent scams will pretend to be lawyers, police officers, judges or family members. Suspects will usually ask for cash, gift cards or Bitcoin.
The Westlock RCMP wants to remind the public that bail is always paid in person at a courthouse or correctional centre.
If a person claims to be a police officer or judge, you can always check with the police service or courthouse directly to confirm the situation.
In general, you should never send money to someone you don’t know or give personal information out over the phone or online to strangers. Likewise, the police and courts will never ask for personal information or payments over the phone.
Anyone who has been a victim of these crimes or who has other information to share should call the Westlock RCMP at (780) 349-4491.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or go online at www.P3Tips.com.
You can also utilize the P3 Tips app available through the Google Play or Apple App store.
To report crime online, or for information to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.
