Grandparent scam awareness and education video transcript

[A Meridian Member, Phillip, became a victim of the very common “Grandparent Scam” after he answered a call from fraudsters claiming to be RCMP officers.]

[Phillip was led to believe he was helping his grandson – who was recently married and training to be a paramedic – get out of drug and weapons charges.]

[Fade into Phillip, and older man with brown skin, white hair and beard, and glasses.]

When I received a phone call from number one scammer, the fact that I heard my grandson was involved, that sets me off on a sort of a… caring attitude, because I'm very close to my grandchildren. So with that in mind, I am out to do everything to help him.

As the scam developed, somehow I let out my grandson's name. And now the scammer got wind that I really have a grandson. And this guy, the guy who is acting like my grandson… Well, he put on quite a show.

It sounded like him, his mannerisms, his words and everything. They need $9,000.

I was told that I must keep this secret. So I go into the branch, I’m well-known at the branch. The scammers, prepped me with what I should say. They tell me that I could say I'm repairing my house, I'm replacing windows, I'm buying a car.

So I go up to the teller, I say I would like to withdraw $9,000. So the teller did ask me, what am I going to do with this money?

But then I sort of told her what I'm going to do with it and after a brief moment, I think she went she went to get someone else. They had a little conversation together. They didn’t mention grandparents scam, but they did say there’s scammers around. I said to her, Well, you know what, I'm a well-educated fellow and I don't think I'll ever be scammed. And so I withdraw the money.

The scammer fellow told me I must not speak to the person coming to pick up the money. Next, I'm getting, I'm getting a series of calls from this “Constable McCarthy”. So he says you have to, in order to appease the judge, you have to come up with a little more money.

So I ask him, how much more? So he says $9,500. He says, can you get that money? Well, I said to myself, you know, it's my grandson. I promised him I will do anything for him. But the scammer also said to me, can you get it from another bank?

So quickly I got changed and I rushed off to the branch. Now, the third pickup, the scammer so-called Constable McCarthy, called me again. And said to me, now they require $10,000 – they require $10,000 in cash.

So I went back to the branch. The teller said to me, you're back again. Yes, I’m back again, this time I want $10,000 and this time I’m giving it to one grandson as a gift.

But in the meantime my daughter and my son got wind of what I’m doing.

[Phillip’s daughter appears]

Phillip’s daughter: My brother and I just happened to stop by that day. When we got there, he just didn't seem quite like himself and he had been under, you know, some stress. So trying to keep his independence, we weren't pushing too much, but we did find it odd that he kept getting phone calls.

Phillip, repeating was his daughter said at the time: “Dad, this is a scam! This is a scam, Dad. This is a scam.”

Phillip: I am ignoring them because I'm completely… brainwashed, if you ask me.

Phillip’s daughter: He was very agitated, it was very upsetting. It still is upsetting to remember what he was like that day, because I really think he could have had a stroke, and the stress was on him to keep that secret, to help somebody that he loved.

Human nature is to go help somebody and I think that's where the scammers really try to isolate people, vulnerable people, and not let them talk, you know, not let them share anything. And they're calling them so often that they really they really get into their head.

I actually have to say that I didn't really know about the grandparents scam. But that day, after my dad told us, my brother and I just punched in the words grandparent, money, grandson, like that scenario – and there was I don't know how many articles that came up about it.

Phillip: I always had it in my mind I would never be scammed. I was confident that I would not be scammed, you know. Now, if I were ever to be found in a situation like this again, I'm going to reach out to my family, first and foremost. And I will take the bank employees, I will not have this idea that, hey, you are not supposed to question me, this is my money, I can do what the heck I want with it.

The bank is working on your behalf, so take special knowledge of what they are saying to you. Think twice, not only twice, think hard and long before you take out cash money to give to a complete stranger.

[Protecting the personal, business, and financial information of our Members and safeguarding them from fraud are among Meridian’s highest priorities.]

[We sincerely thank our Members for agreeing to film this video to help raise awareness about the prevalence of scams currently targeting individuals, so that no one else falls victim to them.]