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Hamilton couple out $8,000 in ‘grandparent scam’

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Almost every day in our area, a senior is scammed out of thousands of dollars by someone pretending to be their grandchild, in trouble, and needing financial help.

READ MORE: Hamilton police see an increase in the number of ‘grandparent scams’

On Feb. 1, Georgia and Dave Bartolotta got a call from someone claiming to be their grandson.

Georgia says the person on the phone said, “Grandma, I’ve got a cold so I’m going to the drug store to get some medicine and I hit a lady in a car and she’s pregnant and she’s screaming at me….”

Georgia says she passed the phone to Dave who took over from there, talking to someone claiming to be their grandson’s lawyer.

READ MORE: Halton police make arrest in connection with ‘grandparent scam’

“The next thing you know they’re trying to resolve the issue by posting bail so that he doesn’t have to spend the night in jail,” Dave said.

They were told to go to the bank and take out $8,000 and instructed not to tell the teller the truth about why they were taking out the money because it could impact their grandson’s court case. Georgia says she told the bank they were using the money to pay for a vacation.

Within three hours of the first phone call, a man was at their door to collect the cash. Dave says the lawyer on the phone said a local bondsman would come to the house to pick up the money, which he said would be returned the next morning once the case is over. Georgia took the man’s picture and followed him down the driveway but their money was gone.

READ MORE: Burlington resident nearly loses $9,000 to ‘grandparent scam’

“I just wish I had of thought more about it before I started doing things, but given the love you have for your grandchildren or family members, they just take advantage of you,” Dave said.

Every police department in the country will say they’re not alone and the Grandparent Scam is happening every day.

READ MORE: Brampton woman arrested after $28K ‘grandparent scam’ in Lincoln

Det Cst. Phil Poirier says, “according to the Canadian anti-fraud society only 5 to 10 per cent are being reported to police.”

The Bartolotta’s lost $8,000 that day but other seniors have been scammed out of a lot more. “We’ve had cases where folks have almost lost $120,000 so it’s a significant financial loss but more than just the financial loss, it’s the impact these victims have to live with everyday, the trauma of hearing their family member possibly injured somebody or injured themselves. That terror never leaves them,” Det. Cst. Poirier said.

Hamilton police are holding three information sessions in April to let seniors what they should do if they receive a similar phone call.

The sessions will be held on Monday, Apr. 3, at 9:30 a.m. at the Sackville Hill Seniors Centre and Tuesday, Apr. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Hamilton Police Division One gymnasium. There will be a virtual information session on Wednesday, Apr. 5 at 6 p.m. The Norfolk County OPP will be holding an information session Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Norfolk County Fairgrounds in the Junior Farmers building.