Police say it's often older adults and seniors who are targetted by phone fraud. (ID 156835993 © Richardjohnsonuk | Dreamstime.com)

By paNOW Staff

Phone Fraud

Two people from Saskatoon charged in Prince Albert fraud case

Sep 16, 2024 | 11:50 AM

While police believe multiple people were involved in recent fraud complaints in Prince Albert, at least two people have now been arrested and charged.

Gurshan Singh, 21, and Jasleen Kaur, 20, both from Saskatoon, appeared in provincial court in Prince Albert last week charged with fraud exceeding $5,000.

Police have been advising the public about phone fraud where someone claims to be a family member in an emergency and asks for a large sum of money. Police said the scam often involves older adults as potential victims. This type of fraud has been around for a while, but there have been recent complaints about it in Prince Albert that led to investigations by the Crime Reduction Team and Proactive Policing Unit.

A press release from the Prince Albert Police Service said, “Fraudsters leverage urgency and panic to coerce the victim into complying with their request. Always use extreme caution, especially when being asked to send a form of currency.”

Anyone who has been a victim of fraud and suffered financial loss is asked to report the incident online or call the police service non-emergency line at 306-953-4222.

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In the meantime, there are some ways to protect yourself from fraud. If you receive a suspicious phone call, police suggested to ask important questions of the caller to verify their identity but refrain from offering additional details yourself, including your address. Alternatively, hang up and call that family member directly to verify their location and well-being and/or connect with other relatives to fact check the call. If the caller is claiming to be law enforcement or a representative of another profession, hang up and call that authority directly to verify the information.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com