Scams and frauds presentation at the Half Century Centre

The Leamington Seniors’ Advisory Committee held their final spring information session for seniors on Wednesday, June 12 at the Half Century Club. 

Guest presenter Chris Ciliska, the local OPP Community Safety/Services Officer, warned seniors about the scams and frauds that they should look out for.

Seniors’ Committee member Christine Lehn said, “We have this topic addressed every year. It’s nice for our seniors to keep on top of it as the scams change so quickly.”

Officer Ciliska indicated that scams are on the rise across Canada, yet only five percent of scams are believed to be formally reported to authorities.

“With the increased ease of texting and emailing, along with emerging artificial intelligence, it’s now so easy to send out mass fraudulent links and emails to unsuspecting seniors,” said Ciliska. He added, “Seniors are often less familiar with the current technology and unfortunately fall prey to the scammers.”

One of the scams highlighted in the presentation was the emergency/grandparent scam, a type of fraud that recently hit hard in the local area. The grandparent scam starts with a call from a supposed loved one asking for money to help with an urgent situation.

Ciliska said, “They try to work on your emotions and pressure you. They get you to make quick decisions that you later regret.”

When asked about how to make seniors less susceptible to being a target of fraud, Ciliska shared, “Your best bet is to learn about the scams that are out there and to take your time around requests that involve divulging information about your accounts or involving your money.”

On a final note, if a victim of a scam or fraud, contact the police immediately, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or contact family and friends to talk through what has happened and figure out your best course of action.

After a summer hiatus, the Leamington Seniors’ Advisory Committee will resume their information sessions for seniors at the Half Century Club in September. The topics for this session will include information about CPP, OAS and the recent implementation of dental benefits provided through government funding.