A familiar scam is once again making the rounds in the City of Thunder Bay, but the sheer volume of incidents in the last week and scammers operating in-person in the community, has police advising the public to take extra caution.
“It is very much happening here, and it is affecting a lot of people,” said Thunder Bay Police Service spokesperson Matt Vis.
Known as the grandparent scam, scammers will contact potential victims via phone or online pretending to be a family member who has just been in an accident or arrested. The scammer will then request urgent financial help be sent.
The scammer may claim to be a police officer, a lawyer, or some other role in the court system. They may also use spoofed phone numbers to make it appear like they are calling from the police station or court