Cape Breton Regional Police advise citizens to be cautious of a scam targeting seniors.

Police in CBRM and other parts of the province are receiving reports of fraudulent calls requesting bail money for a family member, in an attempt to defraud seniors of their money. In these incidents, victims receive a call from someone pretending to be or know a family member, such as a grandchild or niece or nephew, who they indicate has been arrested and needs money to be released from police custody. A second person claims to be a representative of the legal system and makes arrangements to collect the money in person.

If you receive a call like this, please do not provide any money or confirm any personal or financial information. Please be extremely cautious of these kinds of phishing scams which can result in financial and identity theft. If the call concerns a family member, get in touch with that person to confirm they are not in trouble. You should also verify all text and emails soliciting any kind of personal information, to verify the identify of the individual and/or the legitimacy of the organization.

In Canada, law enforcement and Court officials do not attend residences in person to collect money for bail.

All fraudulent activity should be reported to police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca