An Oceanside parent has fallen victim to a detailed and extensive online scam, which saw multiple people convince them their daughter was in jail. (Dreamstime)

By Alex Rawnsley

PHONE SCAM

Oceanside parent loses $32,000 through cruel ‘your child is in jail’ scam

Feb 22, 2023 | 12:00 PM

PARKSVILLE — A local parent lost thousands of dollars as part of a phone scam in which she was told her daughter was in jail and required immediate assistance.

The Oceanside parent made two separate “bail payments” through bank transfers after a man who called the victim said their daughter was involved in a car crash, injuring a small child.

Reported to Oceanside RCMP in early February, Sgt. Shane Worth told NanaimoNewsNOW scammers initially demanded $7,000 to free the daughter.

“They provided very detailed description about the crash and that a child had been injured. The caller wasn’t sure if they identified themselves as a police officer but thought they may have identified themselves as a prosecutor.”

The victim made the payment through a local bank but was then called a short time later by a woman, claiming to be the daughter.

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She used information obtained by the first scammer, such as her name, and told the victim the small child had since died and bail had increased by $25,000.

“At this point, the person who reported this to us was very distraught, the female caller purporting to be the daughter was very distraught,” Worth said.

A second bank transfer was made for $25,000 at a different local bank.

Worth added the parent was coached by both callers prior to the transfers to tell bank staff she was buying a car, if they got suspicious.

It wasn’t until $32,000 had left her account the parent called her daughter directly and the scam was revealed.

Worth said scammers preyed on the emotional response of a parent.

“The original caller told the victim that their adult child was in custody at the Qualicum Beach police station, we don’t have a station in Qualicum Beach. We have Oceanside detachment so that was a flag right there, however the victim didn’t recognize this and was distraught learning their adult child was in trouble and needed their help.”

An investigation into the lost cash is continuing, with both local banks cooperating with police.

Worth said they do have some leads but admitted these situations are tricky for them as it often involves international bank accounts and scammers.

He said the victim was likely targeted at random, potentially due to the fact they have a landline.

“I suspect that scammers know there are particular demographics in particular communities across the province. They’re phoning landlines because they know older people are typically landline owners they may have older children and they’re particularly vulnerable to being scammed and defrauded.”

He said if you receive any call from agencies like police, criminal justice, Canadian Revenue Agency, always hang up then reach out yourself to verified, official phone numbers to confirm whether or not the request was legitimate.

Quick reporting to police if you fall victim to a scam is also essential, as police can work with local banks to better track money and recoup some or all of the losses in certain situations.

A list of common scams, along with information on how to avoid being a victim, is available through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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