祖父母骗局辨别家庭诈骗的 5 个有用提示

What is the Grandparent Scam?

The Grandparent Scam, or the ‘Emergency Scam’ is a call, text, and/or email fraud scheme that targets seniors. The Fraudster contacts a senior impersonating a family member (usually a grandchild) and fabricates a story about being in legal trouble, having a medical emergency, or being in an emergency situation and urgently needing financial assistance. Scammers also impersonate authority figures such as police officers, lawyers, or judges pretending to be with your ‘family member’ who needs your help.

How does the grandparent scam work?

The scammers claim to need money urgently to deal with an emergency situation such as a car accident, medical emergency, or bail money. They will sometimes put a ‘police officer’ or other ‘authority figure’ on the phone, or have them call shortly after the initial call with the ‘family member’ ends. The scammer exploits the victim’s love for their family members and uses fear and urgency to coerce them into sending payment, usually through untraceable methods like wire transfers or gift cards.

how to spot and stop the grandparent scam

Scam red flags

• Urgent deadlines to pay or respond
• Fearmongering with threats
• Request for wire transfer(s) or gift cards
• Requests for secrecy, ‘court gag orders’, etc.

请记住

• 不要相信来电显示/来电显示 on your landline or cellular phone. Scammers can impersonate any organization and can appear to be from the police, government, a hospital, etc.
• 切勿向来电者提供或核实信息 即使他们知道一些个人信息（姓名、电话号码、地址、银行信息），骗子也能轻易找到这些信息，并利用这些信息骗取您的信任，让您相信他们是您的家人。
• Don’t ask questions in order to verify the caller’s story or identity. Scammers will have done their research and may know much more about you and your family than you suspect.
• 绝不汇款 在不确定的情况下。几乎不可能追回或追踪电汇资金。
• 挂断电话！ 骗子就是看准了你会因为害怕而迅速采取行动。请尽量暂停并保持冷静。

如果您认为电话可能是合法的，请使用经过验证的号码或联系方式与家人联系，联系可信赖的朋友进行讨论，或者在需要帮助时拨打 211（在安大略省）。

Help Spread the Word

Spread the word! Use our Grandparent Scam poster as a reminder of how the scam works and to call 211 in Ontario for support. Speak to the seniors in your life so they are prepared if they receive an alarming call about their grandchild or family member. Save, print, share, and help protect seniors in your community.

The Grandparent Scam is An underreported crime

In fact, police believe that only 5-10% of these cases are being reported

The scam is estimated to be responsible for 9.2 million dollars in losses in 2022 (The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre) but most cases are not reported due to:

• Victim’s feeling too embarrassed to come forward
• Scammers threatening victims with ‘gag orders’ or requesting secrecy while impersonating their family members

The KnowledgeFlow Grandparent scam tip sheet

This tip sheet highlights the typical signs of the Grandparent Scam: a scam so common that has its own nickname.