’Tis the season — for scams, that is.
Salmon Arm RCMP are warning residents of a frequently used scam which has returned to the area and has already cost some local residents several thousands of dollars. Several incidents have been reported to local police where a woman contacts an unsuspecting person over the phone and impersonates a grandchild or other family member in legal trouble. Seniors are frequent targets of this so-called “grandparents scam.”
An 83-year-old Salmon Arm woman received a letter in the mail on Dec. 8, appearing to have come from an Asian investment firm. The letter suggests there is an inheritance from a distant relative, who died in China with no immediate next-of-kin. It suggests there is an opportunity to claim the money before it reverts to the Chinese government. Part of the scam involves the person providing contact and financial information and paying a fee for this service. RCMP advise this is another scam and residents should not send money or cheques, or give out bank account numbers to any unknown person.