The grandparent scam, which involves fraudsters pretending to be a grandchild or relative in need of money, has emerged in Nanaimo. About 20 reports were made to the police within a few hours, with some victims losing up to $8,000. The scammers use personal information obtained from social media to make the scam more convincing, and in one case, artificial intelligence was used to mimic the voice of a potential victim's niece. Authorities are warning the public to be cautious and verify the identity of callers before sending money.
Just a few weeks after the “ grandparent scam ” cost two Saanich residents a total of more than $27,000, the persistent fraud has emerged in Nanaimo , with about 20 reports to police in the span of just a few hours. Nanaimo RCMP said most of the calls were from people who managed to avoid losing any money, but some callers said they lost from $3,000 to $8,000.
The scam features callers claiming to be a grandchild or other relative in trouble and in need of money for bail or some other emergency expense. It can involve fraudsters who have combed social media for personal information about a potential victim, such as the term their grandchildren use for them. In at least one of the Nanaimo cases, a fraudster found online audio of a potential victim’s niece and used artificial intelligence to mimic it, said Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien. “In this call, the niece said that she had been arrested and was in jail in the Dominican Republic,” police said in a statement. “A second person then came on the line purporting to work at the Canadian Consulat
Grandparent Scam Nanaimo Fraud Social Media Personal Information Artificial Intelligence Victims Police
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