Page 37 - 20120708 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - July / August 2012

Police Warning Seniors On Fraud Schemes Police warning seniors they are doing because the teller may be Psychic donkey no match about fraud schemes involved in an illegal activity. for legendary octopus The senior is instructed to place the withdrawn cash in an envelope and meet the Halton Regional Police, Ontario ‘investigator’ in a nearby parking lot where the Horsetalk cash is turned over. If successful the ‘investigator’ attempts a further request for funds to ensure the investigation is a success. On one occasion, says the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the ‘investigator’ also asked if the senior had any cash at home because the employee had been handing out counterfeit money. The senior turned over $6,000 in cash from her residence, which the ‘investigator’ kept after looking at the bills’ serial numbers and claiming the money was counterfeit. The fraudsters often claim they are representing financial institutions. Halton Regional Police is warning residents Moraghan said that in April two about the proliferation of mail-based and Burlington seniors, one male and one female, banking-themed scams that primarily target were approached for money over the phone by seniors. people claiming to represent the Bank of In one type of scam, a mass mailout that Montreal and the Royal Bank respectively. Remember the psychic octopus named Paul involves things like fictitious lotteries, psychic Bank-themed scams often involve a who correctly predicted the results of all seven predictions, vitamins and costume jewelry, caller claiming they need help in proving a bank of Germany’s games at the 2010 soccer world seniors are inundated with literature that tries to employee is committing fraud or that the citizen cup? entice them to part with their money on the received money in their account by mistake and Well, Telegraphtv has stumped up with promise of future riches or good luck. the bank needs to be reimbursed. Larry the psychic donkey to provide similar Const. Wendy Moraghan, Halton Moraghan said the Burlington man was startling insights into Great Britain’s police’s Elder Services Co-ordinator, said in one asked to give $4,800. He refused and called the performance at the London Olympics. recent case a Burlington senior lost $100,000 Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The Burlington Sadly, it seems Larry’s career as a through a mass mailout scheme. woman gave nothing and also called the centre. psychic appears to be pretty much over. The constable would not offer any A female senior in Oakville was called Larry was asked whether Britain would identifying information about the victim only by someone claiming to be from the Royal win finally win gold on August 1, after four saying the person was scammed out of the large Bank. The caller said a teller made a fraudulent days without seeing its athletes on the top tier of sum of money over the period of about a year. transaction on their account and she needed to the podium. “Some senior citizens are getting 60-100 pay back $6,200. Larry was presented with two containers pieces of (delivered) mail a day. They’re all She didn’t. holding feed, one marked with a “yes” and the different but scams,” said Moraghan, noting the Police have no leads in the cases, says other marked “no”. senior who is out a lot of money was sending Moraghan. Larry opted for the “no” container, but regular cheques of varying amounts in “It’s difficult to track these guys down,” proved to be well wide of the mark. anticipation of the promise of future good she said noting scammers often use untraceable Great Britain won its first gold medal of fortune of some sort. cellphones. the Games that day, when rowers Helen Glover The fraud being perpetrated against the “In some case I think the banks need to and Heather Stanning triumphed in the women’s local senior was brought to the attention of do due diligence with some people’s accounts” pair. police on a tip from someone who knows the when they see many transactions for large or Britain has since kicked on to win five victim. unusual amounts. golds, consigning poor Larry to the psychic Moraghan says Halton police know of “Our government needs to get on board scrapheap. three other seniors, two in Burlington and one in and take some ownership” of the problem, said The question was put to Larry as Britain Oakville, who have been targeted by fraudsters Moraghan adding she’s been told by Canada stood on the medal table with two silvers and recently in a banking-themed scam. Post that its hands are tied because they have a two bronzes. While none of the trio parted with any duty to deliver properly-assigned mail. While publicity on Telegraphtv and money, believing the requests for cash from The Halton officer said she can’t Horsetalk may just about wrap up Larry’s media telephone solicitors to be phony, other seniors estimate the number of potential scam victims exposure, the same could not be said for Paul, across the country have not been so fortunate. in the region because “A lot of seniors don’t who gleaned headlines around the globe for his The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre report them to us”, often out of embarrassment soothsaying ability. (formerly Phone Busters) recently received or because they don’t realize the call or mailout Paul, originally from Weymouth, more than 100 complaints with victims was a scam attempt. England, lived in a tank at the Sea Life Centre reportedly losing a combined $500,000. “They shouldn’t be embarrassed (but) if in Oberhausen, Germany. The current popular scam-du-jour, it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” He not only correctly predicted the according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, said Moraghan. results of Germany’s seven games, but also predominantly targets female seniors. If you believe you have been a victim or nailed the outcome of the final, in which Spain Fraudsters sometimes use obituaries to obtain contacted by a fraud artist, call Const. beat the Netherlands. personal information about their potential Moraghan at 905-634-1831, ext. 5064, or For each prediction, Paul was presented victims. contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1- with two boxes containing food in the form of a The fraudster contacts a senior by phone 888-495-8501 or visit www.antifraudcentre- mussel. advising them they require their assistance to centreantifraude.ca/english/home-eng.html. Each box was marked on the outside catch a bank employee that “has been stealing The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is with the flag of a national football team in a money”. jointly managed by the RCMP, OPP and the forthcoming match. His choice of which mussel The person is instructed to go to their Competition Bureau. [] to eat first indicated his prediction bank and make a cash withdrawal, usually in Paul the Octopus was retired after the $100 bills, for amounts in the $5,000 range. The '52 F+G -;:2 %.16; ')E&5;B 2010 World Cup, and died the following person is told not to tell the bank teller what www.xzoneradiotv.com October. []