Fraud has become a huge concern in our country, particularly when it’s aimed at senior citizens. In fact, fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians, according to the Government of Canada. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), over $9 million was reported lost to so-called grandparent scams in 2022. And it’s estimated that only a small fraction of these crimes is actually reported.
Mennonite Community Services (MCS) in Aylmer recognized this issue and decided to do something to protect the seniors in their community against fraud. Although MCS offers services to the wider community, it was originally formed to provide for the particular challenges faced by Low-German newcomers to the Aylmer area. According to Anna Bergen, Executive Director of MCS, it's the Low-German-speaking seniors that MCS is most concerned about in terms of fraud and financial scams.
Beginning in the summer, MCS held workshops for Low-German speaking seniors who resided together in the same seniors building. Groups consisting of about 20 participants who spoke little or no English were educated on the different types of fraud they could potentially fall victim to. They first listened to a presentation, and then participated in a discussion. The facilitators were surprised to learn that many of the seniors felt that they were safe simply because they didn’t answer their telephone if they didn’t recognize the number of the person calling them. Although that’s not a bad practice, they were able to show the seniors other ways they might become a victim of fraudsters, such as the grandparent scam.
Grandparent scams happen when fraudsters impersonate the victim’s grandchild in order to extort money from them. Often, the criminal has gained information about the grandchild and the grandparent by mining social media. They proceed to impersonate the grandchild in a crisis situation, asking for immediate financial assistance. For example, they might impersonate a grandson at university, claiming to have been arrested and needing bail money immediately. The fraudster might know that the grandparent goes by the term “Oma” and that the grandson attends the University of Waterloo. This is enough to convince the victim that the caller is, in fact, their grandchild, and they proceed to send them money.
Often there is a sense of shame surrounding seniors who have previously been caught in these scams. The MCS workshops allowed them to open up about their experiences, and use these as examples to better educate their peers. The seniors were also taught what to do if they believe they have been the victim of a fraud and who they should reach out to. “We don’t want our seniors to live in fear,” states Anna, “we want them to live alert.”
As a next step, MCS is hoping to have volunteers record some of these stories to broadcast on their Low-German language radio station, so that even more seniors and other members of the community can be protected.
Kindred Credit Union is pleased that our Charitable Fund grant is helping to improve the financial safety and security of these vulnerable seniors in Aylmer. And we believe that the work that Mennonite Community Services is doing in their community aligns well with our purpose of inspiring peaceful, just, and prosperous communities.