RCMP detachments across the province can confirm that the grandparent scam is alive and well.  

According to an RCMP news release, there have been several accounts of grandparent scam attempts in the Battlefords area this month alone. 

Among them, there was one confirmed victim who paid cash to a scammer, with the scammer requiring the victim to use a specific name and “passcode”. Officers say in many recent reports, scammers have asked the victims to take cash to a crypto ATM and use a provided barcode to send the money to a crypto wallet. These scammers also continue to use legitimate lawyer’s names in correspondence. 

Several hours away, White Butte Detachment also received two separate reports this week of residents in the Pilot Butte area targeted by the grandparent scam. In these cases, the scammer was attempting to arrange meeting up with victims in-person but was quickly reported to police.