Fraudster stole $21K from 80-year-old Ontario woman over 4 days, part of uptick in 'grandparent scams'

A woman in Ontario's Niagara region says she lost over $21,000 to scammers in a complex scheme that lasted four days and included an imposter posing to be her grandson.

The 80-year-old is sharing her story to help others avoid getting duped.

"It was horrendous, really, what they did to me," she said.

CBC News isn't identifying the woman to protect her identity and safety as Niagara police search for those responsible for the scam.

Police also say scams targeting seniors are on the rise in their region, and are warning residents and banks to be vigilant.

In the past two weeks, Niagara police say there have been 44 reported "grandparent scams." A total of $120,000 was stolen from a combined 10 of those cases. There were also 34 failed attempts — and Const. Phil Gavin said these are just the incidents they know about.

Gavin said the 80-year-woman's case was "very brazen." 

The woman says that on Feb. 7, she received a phone call from a person claiming to be a lawyer. The person said her grandson was using his phone while driving when he rear-ended an American diplomat.

The caller said her grandson knew his son. The caller added that her grandson's cellphone was broken and couldn't be used. The woman said she was eager to hear if her grandson was OK.

"I just wanted to help him," she said.

Then, she heard someone who sounded like her grandchild on the phone — though she would later find out it was an imposter.

"His voice was just like my grandson's, so that upset me," the 80-year-old said.

The imposter said the grandson and the diplomat he hit were on the way to hospital. They needed $8,000, they claimed, to fix the diplomat's vehicle, and because the person was a diplomat, the 80-year-old could not tell anyone about the situation.

The Niagara woman says she told them her grandchild's insurance should cover that, but the caller said they needed the money urgently.