You might hear a lot more about different scams next week when the Ontario Provincial Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre launch a new campaign to stem the millions of dollars lost to fraud each year.
Police announced the campaign after losses in 2022 hit $530-million across Canada. The total is a 40 per cent increase over 2021.
Victims of the so-called “emergency” or “grandparents’ scam” lost $9.2-million, up from $2.4-million the year before. Losses in Ontario were over $5.4-million, and that’s only the cases reported to the police. The OPP believes only five to ten per cent of victims come forward.
Anyone who falls victim to a scam, or suspects they were targeted, should call their local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre even if it didn’t work. The centre can be reached at 1-888-495-8501 or online.
The OPP, RCMP, and CAFC plan to post tips, bulletins, and other information the public can use to protect themselves on social media between February 6 and 10.
At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, police will host a live chat with a victim of the grandparents’ scam on their Facebook and Twitter feeds.
