Cornwall Police warn of scams as tax season approaches

Nick Seebruch
Cornwall Police warn of scams as tax season approaches

CORNWALL, Ontario – In a press release posted on Thursday, Feb. 23, the Cornwall Community Police Service reminded residents to be wary of fraud.

The press release, which can be found here, details tips and various types of fraud that have been encountered in the area.

"Frauds are always present, but this time of year you can expect an increase in the CRA scam due to the tax season," wrote Constable Dan Cloutier in an email to the Seaway News. "I recently spoke with a local lady who was being lured into the grandparent scam…. fortunately she did not send any money."

The grandparent scam targets senior citizens. The grandparent scam starts with a senior receiving a phone call or email claiming to be from one of their grandchildren. The grandchild then claims to need money due to being stuck in a foreign country or because of a car accident.

The money is then sent via a money transfer company such as Money Gram or Western Union.

The scammer also asks that no one else in their "family" be notified of the predicament.

"Though the “Emergency Scam” (or sometimes referred to as the “Grandparent Scam”) has been around for years, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns the public to be on alert after noting a marked increase in the number of complaints in the last two months," the press release reads.

Many scams rely on forcing the target to make a snap decision, whether they be the grandparent scam, or a scam claiming the victim won a prize.

The Cornwall Community Police Service recommends slowing things down, asking questions, getting details and that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

"A lot of scams are not reported to police either because people don’t fall for them or they are merely embarrassed about being a victim," Constable Cloutier said. "Our message is of awareness and hopefully we can prevent others from being victims of these scams."

Those who would like to learn more about fraud are asked to call the Cornwall Community Police Service by dialing (613) 933-5000, ext. 2600, our web-site www.cornwallpolice.com or www.anti-fraudbusters.ca.

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