Hundreds of thousands of dollars lost locally in scam targeting seniors

Local police continue to warn of a scam targeting seniors where victims have been defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Halifax Regional Police and RCMP have received over 44 reports in the last few months about a scam where fraudsters pretend to be a family member claiming they've been arrested and are in jail. 

Then a second person comes on the line, usually pretending to be a legal representative, telling the victim they need to pay money to get their loved one released from custody.

On some of the calls, arrangements are made to pick up the money in person.

“What's concerning is they're managing to get thousands of dollars from individuals,” said HRP's Cst. John MacLeod. “And it just doesn't seem to show any sign of stopping.”

“We have arrested one individual previously in December, however now there's another individual we're looking for.”

Police are now looking for a man described as Black and in his 20s to 30s, around 6 feet tall with short dark hair and glasses. (see photos above)

“They're taking advantage of people's good nature … especially when it comes to helping loved ones, they pull on the heartstrings,” MacLeod told CityNews Halifax.

“They apply that pressure to try and get an individual to act without time to really do due diligence and look into it.”

HRP say sometimes the fraudster claims to be a police officer, but police would never make a call like this.

“Members of the justice system are not going to contact individuals and ask you for money, so certainly any time you're called with this kind of information request, you should be very suspicious,” MacLeod stated.

“Be suspicious of any kind of emails or calls asking for money and to act on that right away.”

If you get one of these calls, police recommend you hang up.

“You should not give personal information to anyone, whether solicitation occurs by email, telephone or in person, unless you have initiated the contact or you are certain of the identity of the individual and/or the legitimacy of the organization they claim to represent,” police add.

If you or someone you know is a victim, or you have any information about these scams, call police at 902-490-5016 or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.