Scammers targeted two North Bay families with the Emergency Scam but police say the families didn’t fall for the con.
The attempt to part people from their money comes on the heels of My West Nipissing .com reporting this week that March is Fraud Awareness Month.
Typically, this time of year scammers pull off the CRA con where people are threatened with jail time if they don’t pay the taxman money.
This scam uses the fear tactic of jail time to take your money.
In the case of the Emergency Scam, the con artists work on your emotions and try to involve a family member.
North Bay police say in the two cases reported to them, one involved a family member calling a parent to say they were jailed for being impaired and needed bail money.
The second call involved the family member breaking their nose in an automobile accident and needed money for medical attention.
Police say in both cases, the potential victims recognized the scams and did not transfer any money.
Police say in most scams the victim is asked to wire money through Western Union or Money Gram.
This is a tipoff that the caller is likely a scammer.
Police are again suggesting people go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website to educate themselves about what type of scams are out there and how to protect yourself from them.
They say it comes down to recognizing the scam, rejecting the caller and reporting the matter to police.