How a 93-year-old B.C. senior lost $8,900 after falling victim to ‘grandson scam’

Consumer Matters.The fraudster instructed Rice to withdraw $8,900  in cash and to tell bank staff the funds were needed for renovations.Rice said a staff member at the CIBC where she has been banking since the 1970’s suggested a bank draft, but Rice said the con artist had convinced her cash was the only option.She had a $1,000  limit at the ATM but bank staff eventually raised her limit so she could withdraw the funds, Rice explained.“I really didn’t know how to withdraw from the ATM machine and she did it for me,” said Rice.

WestJet Vacations customer endures long battle getting refund after COVID cancellation The fraudster eventually arrived at Rice’s door where he took off with thousands of dollars of Rice’s money.“I feel so bad being taken by these people,” she said.Rice’s daughter, Jo, says the bank should have asked her mom more questions. “It’s their pensions gone,” said Jo. “My mother normally doesn’t take out this amount of cash so maybe there could be more of a protocol or questions asked.”CIBC said in a statement to Consumer Matters:“We work hard to protect our clients, especially seniors, from fraudOur team is trained to ask questions when transactions do not fit a client’s usual banking pattern and to offer alternatives to cash such as a bank draft payable to a verified payee, which we did in this case.

This is a very unfortunate situation which highlights the importance of being suspicious of calls asking for cash to help a family member, verifying the information, and talking to your bank or to the police about the situation so that we can help to prevent fraud.” B.C.