On January 3, an elderly couple was contacted by a scammer claiming to be a lawyer who told them that their grandson had been arrested. In order to make bail, they were told they must pay $ 9,000. The victim was asked to attend their bank and withdraw $ 9,000 in cash. The scammer then advised the victim that a “bond carrier” would pick up the funds later in the afternoon.

A short time later, two females arrived at the victim’s residence to collect the funds. The victim became suspicious of the females and did not provide the funds.

The elderly couple later contacted their grandson who advised them that he was not in jail and did not need to be bailed out.

The suspects arrived in a white BMW. The driver was described as a female with poor complexion. The second female was described as South Asian with big, fake eyelashes.

In an effort to further the investigation, RCMP are releasing CCTV images of the suspect’s vehicle in the investigation and asking anyone who may have CCTV or dash of the vehicle travelling in the 700 St. Ives Crescent in North Vancouver, to contact North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 and quote file #23-184.

“Investigators have determined that the suspects maybe travelling throughout different regions in Canada and committing these bail frauds. Similar frauds with the same suspect descriptions have been reported in other provinces and they are currently in the Lower Mainland committing these frauds,” said Constable Mansoor Sahak.

“The best offence is a good defence,” noted Sahak and suggested tips people can share with anyone who may be vulnerable, particularly the elderly community that are often targeted by these fraud artists.

How to protect yourself:

* Report the scam call to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or call them toll-free at 1-888-495-8501.
* Be careful about posting personal details and names of family members on social media platforms.
* Privatize your social media accounts and protect your personal information.
* Change your online passwords to be difficult and all different from each other.
* Be careful with caller ID numbers that look familiar. Scammers use technology to disguise the actual number they are calling from to make it appear as a trusted phone number.