Elderly West Lincoln resident loses $10,000 to fraudsters

An elderly West Lincoln resident lost $10,000 to fraudsters after she was tricked into thinking her grandson was in trouble.

Niagara Regional Police responded to the woman’s home on Wednesday shortly before 7 p.m. after she had spoken with family members and suspected something fraudulent had happened.

The woman told police that she had received a phone call earlier in the day from someone who identified himself as Blair Walker, a police officer with the RCMP based out of St. Catharines.

The man on the phone told the elderly victim that her grandson had been involved in an accident and was in police custody on drug related offences. He asked for $10,000 cash in order to release the grandson.

The elderly victim believed that her grandson was in trouble and went to her bank to withdraw the cash. Shortly after, a female suspect arrived at the elderly victim’s door and picked up the cash.

The elderly victim contacted police after speaking with her family members and learning that her grandson was not in police custody.

The female suspect who collected the money in person is described as a 25-year-old, white woman who is 5’7” tall with a thin build and long black hair.

She was wearing a short black dress as well as a short black jacket.

Detectives assigned to the Central Fraud Unit (CFU) have assumed carriage of the investigation and are asking for help from the public in solving this crime.

“Fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes and can have a devastating impact on its victims,” Niagara police say on their website. “Being knowledgeable about how frauds are committed will go a long way in protecting you from becoming a victim.”

Police remind residents to protect personal information:

• Never give out personal information unless you know with whom you are dealing and how that information will be used
• Never reply to unsolicited emails or phone calls seeking personal details, banking information, or credit card information
• Minimize personal information contained on social media sites and limit access to who can view your information

Police say there is a lot of truth to the saying ‘if it sounds too go to be true, it is probably a scam’.

Officers also encourage residents to talk to friends, family, the elderly, neighbours, and members of the vulnerable sectors of the community who may not be connected to social media or may have missed previous warnings in the news.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the lead detective at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1029487.