At least five local seniors have been targetted by someone posing as their troubled grandson in need of money.
The seniors, all of whom live at the Cedar cottages on Pemberton and Third avenues, advised Joanne Dafferne, Squamish Senior Citizens Home Society administrative assistant, of telephone calls.
The man would begin with "Hi Grandma" or "Hi Grandpa," and tell them he was in Toronto, had had a car accident and needed money.
"One resident said 'I'm not Grandma' - she's called Nana - so click [the man hung up]," said Dafferne. "Another said 'What's your last name?' and then click."
Dafferne said the calls were blocked, so could not be traced through the typical means.
But she said she believes the caller may be local since the only way he could've known he was calling elderly people was if he took note of the names posted outside the living complex, well known as a seniors' building.
Dafferne said she called RCMP and was told police could do nothing since no one had actually lost money.
RCMP Cpl. Dave Ritchie said Dafferne's call was likely routed to the Vancouver dispatch, since local dispatchers are aware of the Squamish RCMP protocol of following up on such complaints.
"They [remote dispatchers] have pretty standard things with what they take calls on and what they don't - sometimes it's a misinterpretation of what's actually going on," he said. "I would encourage them [potential victims] to phone us. I will tell the watch commanders and the staff about it."
Ritchie said the dispatcher was right in the fact that charges could not be laid for attempted fraud, but police want to know if such calls are happening nonetheless.
"We would like to get out to the community as well," he said.
In the meantime, said Ritchie, seniors should be extra vigilant.
"If it sounds like a scam, it probably is."
