Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Jun, 2023 10:14 AM
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have issued a warning about what they describe as a sophisticated new "grandparent scam."
Richmond -R-C-M-P say the scam -- in which fraudsters try to convince seniors that a loved one is in trouble and needs money -- has been around for years.
But recently they say scammers have started using artificial intelligence and digital manipulation to alter the voice in the phone call in order to sound more authentic.
The Mounties are urging people never to provide their personal, banking or credit card information over the phone.
The warm temperatures come a day after records were broken on Friday in cities like Victoria and Abbotsford. Temperatures Sunday afternoon have fallen below 28 degrees, with rain in the forecast Monday for several interior cities.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services say they responded to a fire Saturday at 9:30 p-m on Dunlevy Avenue, in the back of the Asian Canadian Benevolent Association building. Police say they found the body of a 50-year-old man in the electrical room in the parking lot, where the fire is believed to have started accidentally.
The Village of Cache Creek, nearly 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, has issued an evacuation order for a single property along the Trans Canada Highway due to an “existing or imminent” threat of flooding.
The agency says it will now set up additional primary control zones as needed around the infected zone, currently centred around the communities of Yarrow and Barrowtown 90 kilometres east of Vancouver. Since an outbreak began in 2022, H-5-N-1 has forced farms in B-C and across Canada to cull millions of birds when an infection is found.
The B-C Wildfire Service says the Dripping Water wildfire discovered on Thursday 600 kilometres north of Vancouver has now reached over 200 hectares. Meanwhile, the Lost Valley Road wildfire over 400 kilometres northeast of Vancouver discovered on Saturday has now reached over 100 hectares.
The Abbotsford Police Department says the Uber driver was injured and extremely shaken during an attack on April 18. Police say the investigation involved help from Uber and other law enforcement partners to identify a suspect.
