Unsuspecting grandma almost handed over $9K to scammers

‘We thought it was our grandson because he sounded so much like him’

Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jim — not their real names — walked into a real Peterborough bank on Monday and lied to the teller before withdrawing $9,000 in real cash. They were sure they were helping their 21-year-old grandson.

“We thought it was our grandson because he sounded so much like him,” said Jean, who agreed to provide details of her experience but asked that she not be identified.

Her story, according to city police, is sadly not unique. It’s a common grandparent scam, but Jean says if her details might help another grandma out there, she wants to share it.

It began early in the day with a seemingly believable call pleading, “Grandma … I really need your help.”

“He was kind of crying … really upset,” Jean said of the caller. She handed the phone over to her husband, who took in the details.

The caller said he was in jail and needed $9,000 to get out. Jean and Jim wondered what could have happened. Their grandson, as far as they knew, was across the province at a curling bonspiel, but the caller said he was with his friend, “you remember Scottie,” he added — and they had been pulled over by the police.

They didn’t know Scottie, but given the circumstances, that didn’t matter to them. They just wanted to help.

The caller said Scottie had been pulled over and police found a bag a marijuana in his car. The “grandson” hadn’t talked to his parents because he didn’t want to upset them.

“He just said he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, ‘so if you can get the $9,000, Scottie and I will be released.’”

They wondered what they would tell the bank, but the “grandson” told them to just say it was for kitchen renovations.

So, they went to the bank, told a lie and withdrew the money. Fortunately, before handing it over, they shared the story with a trusted neighbour. He told them the story sounded like a scam and they should talk to police. They did, then they reached out to their daughter. The real grandson as safe and sound with his dad at the bonspiel.

When they went back to the bank teller, they were sharing the story when a customer overhead the conversation. He told them his friend received a remarkably similar call, with the same amount requested and the same trouble for the grandson.

Meanwhile, City of Kawartha Lakes police made two arrests after receiving an “alarming amount” of calls regarding attempted grandparent scams on Tuesday. A 63year-old man was defrauded of $9,000 after receiving a call that their nephew is in jail and needed money for bail. Someone then went to his home and retrieved the cash, police said.

Later the same day, a 78-year-old man received a call advising that their grandson was in jail and money was needed to grant him bail, but the man called police. Bois Des Fillion, 49, of Quebec, was charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000.

On the same day, a 90-year-old man was contacted and told that his granddaughter was arrested, police said. He was told a payment of $9,200 was required for his granddaughter to be granted bail. He contacted a family member who confirmed that his granddaughter was not in jail and police were called, police said.

Officers then arrested a man who approached his home. Mohamed Mahmood, 26, of Hamilton, was charged with fraud over $5,000.

He just said he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, ‘so if you can get the $9,000, Scottie and I will be released.’

VICTIM OF ATTEMPTED SCAM