O.P.P. teach Rainy River seniors how to avoid being bilked

Ken Johnston
Editor

It is as heinous a crime as anyone could imagine. Bilking senior citizens out of their life savings has become a serious problem in Ontario as telemarketing and door to door con-artists have discovered ways to take advantage of this demographic.
Last Wednesday Ontario Provincial Police Constable Derek McLean visited with the Rainy River Senior Friendship Group at the old CNR station to talk to them about the schemes and how seniors can avoid becoming victims of them.
McLean said that the criminals have taken an estimated $3.5 million from Ontario seniors in recent years. “That averages out to a loss of about $12,000 per victim.”
He noted that the most common approach comes over the phone. “We have all been contacted and told that we have won a big prize such as a trip or television or for a group soliciting a donation for a charity.” Often people are told to claim the prize they have to buy something and in the case of charities they are often not really a charity but a “look-alike”.
For instance the Canadian Association for the Blind. It sounds legitimate but the real charity is actually the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
McLean noted that most senior citizens are really, really nice people with big hearts. “They want to give, but they have to be careful.” He recommends that seniors deal with charities that they know well and have dealt with for years. He also told them not to give out their credit card or bank account numbers over the phone.
Another common ripoff is the door to door home renovation scam. Salesmen visit homes and tell seniors they need repairs to their homes. They often say they have the men right around the corner to do the work immediately. Sometimes they ask for payment up front and usually charge 10-20 times more than they should. McLean recommended that seniors use reputable contractors in their area and to get more than one quote for the work. He also recommended that they get a contract with the company spelling out what work will be done and for what price. “Be sure to read the fine print of the contract,” he added.
One of the tactics used by these door to door con artists is to get into a seniors home and wait them out. “They will stay and keep pressuring you to sign on their dotted line or get some money from you. Many seniors get tired of them being there and sign.” McLean told the seniors to call the police if they have an unwanted guest in their home, rather than committing to the scheme.
Another popular scam is a person calling and saying they are a bank manager and need account numbers from the senior. “If they are a bank manager they will not need your account numbers so don’t give them out over the phone,” said McLean.
He urged them all to call the police if they suspect a fraud. “Seniors are easy pickings because they are always home to answer the phone or door. These criminals are hard to catch, but you can stop them by not buying into their schemes.”
McLean noted that this crime is not limited to the big cities and that locally there have been a number of complaints and that police are investigating them. However with so many of the criminals calling from far away places, “Our best way to deal with it is to educate seniors.”
The OPP have also set up a toll free phone number where seniors can report any suspicious calls or get information about this problem. It is 1-888-495-8501 and is called PhoneBusters. There is also a website on the internet with information. It is www.gov.on.ca/phonebusters.