“Hi Grandpa.” “Billy is that you?” “Yeah, listen I need help but don’t tell mom and dad.” That’s the typical script of the grandparent scam. Grandparents, believing their beloved grandchild is in trouble, then transfer money to scammers electronically. Last Wednesday, Toronto Police Services warned East York residents about this new twist to the scam.
It begins on the street with a stranger’s heart-rending story and often only ends later with the discovery of missing jewelry. Thieves have been targeting seniors across the Greater Toronto Area since July in a string of what Const. Tony Vella describes as distraction thefts.
In the last days of her mother’s life coping with Alzheimer’s, Maria Minna took on the role of primary caregiver. She often relied on her family’s own resources when there didn’t appear to be help from government services.