Slick con artists prey on seniors

“I can’t say there’s more (fraud) than in other sectors, but there’s more money here, so they’re more likely to call,” said Station 12 constable Caroline Gauthier. “Be careful. There’s more and more.”

One local 87-year-old woman was almost a victim. She received a call from a man telling her she’d won an all-inclusive vacation; he just needed some personal information and her credit card number before she could claim her prize.

“They’re very convincing,” said Gauthier. “Sometimes they’ll just steal $50 or $60, but with many victims, it adds up.”

Gauthier has the following advice: Never give out personal information over the telephone. This includes date of birth, home address, and social insurance, credit card, or pin numbers. “You never know who is really on the other end of the line,” she said.

But fraud is not committed only by phone. Sometimes, fraudsters go door-to-door. Gauthier recommends not opening the door to strangers unless they are expected. Check through the peephole, she said, and don’t open the door if you don’t recognize the person on the other side. If they claim to be from a legitimate organization, ask them to call for an appointment. If you need work done on the house, hire through recommendations from friends, neighbours, or family.

Gauthier also suggests keeping answering service messages neutral by leaving only your first name or your phone number in the message. Don’t offer more information than necessary. Further, if you are elderly, your voice will give away your age so Gauthier recommends having a friend or family member record a message for you.

“Older people trust easily and often live alone. They’re ideal victims,” she said.

Fraudsters can be very convincing. If you have been the victim of fraud or you’ve been receiving numerous calls from telemarketers, notify the police, said Gauthier.

PSOs surprise Summit pot smokers

Three youths — aged 15, 16, and 17 — were caught past curfew at the Summit lookout on Feb. 9. PSO Robert Forbes and Sergeant Kim Colquhoun caught the teens parked in a car and smoking marijuana at 12:40 a.m.

Each of the teens was charged with a bylaw infraction and will receive a $37 ticket in the mail, said Public Security Director Richard Blondin. The information was also passed on to Station 12 police.