Regina seniors lose $25K to 'grandparent scam'

Regina police are warning the public about a form of telephone fraud called the "grandparent scam" that has cost residents thousands of dollars in recent weeks.

It involves people getting phone calls from callers who pretend to be relatives of the victims.

Often a senior will be targeted and the caller will pretend to be a grandchild, nephew or niece, the Regina police said in a news release.

The caller goes on to say that he or she needs money because of a car accident or injury or to make bail. 

The caller then urges the victim to send money through a money transfer service, like Western Union.

If the call recipient starts asking questions, the caller often hangs up.

City police have received six reports from seniors in the past two months, with over $25,000 being given out.

It's also possible that the scam is being attempted through email, with information gleaned from social networking sites, police said.

Police are asking anyone who gets such a call — even if they didn't send money — to call the Regina Police Service at (306) 777-6500.

Police departments in B.C., Calgary, Manitoba, Quebec and other provinces have also received complaints about the scam.