25 Canadians charged with ‘grandparent scam’
Mar 14, 2025, 12:34 PM | Updated: 12:49 pm
Twenty-five Canadians were charged last month with scamming American grandparents out of millions of dollars.(Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — Twenty-five Canadians were charged last month with scamming older Americans out of millions of dollars.
The so-called “grandparent scam” hit 46 states and took in $21 million. The scam originated in Canada, but the numbers were spoofed, making it look like they came from the United States.
The scammers posed as family members, often a grandchild, who need money for bail following a car crash. They used high pressure tactics like cloning voices and calling multiple times.
“If someone’s asking you for money and they’re trying to have a sense of urgency, be so cautious,” said Melani Fox with the Better Business Bureau in Salt Lake. ” … Because oftentimes they want you just to act quickly, they don’t want you to think about it critically. They just want you to send over the money and not really do any research.”
Fox said they don’t think any Utahns were affected by this grandparent scam, but it could happen.
“Contact your family members and get the story first. Make sure it’s legitimate before you just hand over a stranger money. Even if they sound legitimate and they look legitimate, because it can just be a recipe for disaster.”
The FBI said scams of the elderly are increasing and in 2023, there were losses of $3.4 billion for those over 60.
“We really recommend hanging up first before you give them any personal information. Your banking, social security, whatever you have, you really should not give it over the phone unless you’re 100% sure that you’re talking to who you believe you’re talking to,” Fox said.
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