Vancouver Police Warn Seniors of New Fraud
Financial abuse of seniors is a crime and at ESC we want to present information that can help prevent that from happening. Have a look at the article below:
Vancouver police are issuing a warning and releasing surveillance video showing what they’re calling an alarming new scam that tricks seniors into thinking their loved ones have been arrested and convinces them to hand over thousands of dollars.
The scam was first reported to police Jan. 12, when a West Side couple in their 70s received a call from a man who claimed their nephew had been in a car accident and needed $8,000 to get out of jail, according to a statement from Vancouver police.
The video shows a male suspect identifying himself as “Chris from the courthouse,” arriving at the victims’ door. When the couple questions how quickly he arrived to collect the money, he tells them he had already been scheduled by the court to drop by for the cash.
In the background, the couple is still on the phone with the original caller who tells them “Chris” should be arriving soon.
WATCH | “Chris from the courthouse” collects cash from seniors:
Surveillance video shows scammer arriving at victims’ door to collect cash
1 month agoDuration2:42Scammers tricked a couple out of $8,000 after claiming they wanted to bail out their nephew who had been arrested after a car crash. 2:42
In just under three minutes, the suspect at the door leaves with a white envelope containing the $8,000.
“It’s not uncommon for scammers to target the elderly by contacting them by mail, telephone, or online,” said VPD Const. Tania Visintin. “What’s different and concerning is that fraudsters are now showing up at the victims’ doorsteps to collect cash. It’s brazen, and we’re concerned about people’s safety.”
