A program aimed at protecting seniors from increasingly sophisticated phone scams is already making an impact in Portage la Prairie, and further steps are being implemented to increase that awareness.
Local resident Daryl Gobert says his own family has been targeted multiple times by scammers posing as relatives in distress or offering fraudulent prizes. He credits the awareness campaign, spearheaded by Colin Wilcox and supported by local businesses, with helping his loved ones recognize the warning signs before money was lost.
“Our family, like many others in this area, get spurts of scam calls,” Gobert says. “They’re fast-paced, convincing, and the elderly — never having been exposed to this — can almost fall prey to them.”
Gobert explains that the program began with a simple pamphlet outlining common scam tactics. With community support, it has since grown into laminated, colour reference sheets that can be kept near the phone. These sheets highlight the “avenues scammers take to get you on the hook,” he says, and serve as a reminder that anyone asking for personal information over the phone is likely not legitimate.
In his own family, Gobert recalls a particularly convincing scam where fraudsters claimed a relative had been arrested and required more than $5,000 for bail.
“The call was so convincing to elderly family members that they phoned me about it,” he says. In another case, scammers claimed a relative had won a vehicle, while others posed as credit card companies.
Thanks to the laminated reminders, his family members now know to hang up immediately. “They are definitely a lot wiser and, thankfully, nobody has lost any money or Visa numbers,” Gobert says.
Gobert also raises concerns about caller ID spoofing, noting that some scam calls have displayed local exchanges, making them appear to come from Portage la Prairie. “You look at your call display — a 239 number — and you think it must be someone you know,” he says. “That’s another bait on the hook.”
He adds that the program deserves recognition not only for its educational impact but also for the community effort behind it. “Colin deserves a big thank you for his time and effort, and also the businesses that helped get these printed and laminated. They need to be thanked too for their financial contribution.”
Gobert hopes the initiative will prevent others from falling victim to scams that have cost Canadians thousands of dollars. “You hear about these things happening on the news in other places, and then you realize — it happens right here in Portage,” he says.
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