Police suspect scammers are using AI to trick seniors out of their money.
Richmond RCMP said the “grandparent scam” has evolved and become “far more sophisticated.”
Typical scams use high-pressure tactics to convince victims to send money to help a family member in trouble.
“The twist is that the voice used in the phone call has been altered to sound more authentic using digital manipulation likely with the help of A.I.,” said Richmond RCMP media spokesperson Cpl. Adriana O’Malley.
A common scam is the grandson-in-jail story. The scammer calls the victim and pretends to be their grandson who is jailed and requires immediate bail money.
While seniors are often targeted, anyone can fall victim to these kinds of scams, O’Malley said.
Police give the following tips to protect yourself from scams:
Do not be afraid to say ‘no’ to the caller on the other end of a phone call.
Do not be afraid to make calls of your own to determine whether the caller and his/her problem is legitimate or not.
Never give your personal, banking or credit card information to anyone who calls you over the phone, and never send cash in the mail.
For more information on ways to protect yourself from these and other scams, check out the information provided by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
