A warning for South Shore seniors. A a man has been busted by police in British Columbia, after five years of being on the run and allegedly bilking hundreds of Canadian seniors out of their life savings. Known as the "Nephew Bandit", 57 year old Richard Rupert was featured recently on "America's Most Wanted" after scores of seniors reported they were the victims of a man claiming he was a long, lost relative needing money. Here in our area, Jill Atkinson of the Better Business Bureau says similar incidents known as the "grand-parents scam" have been reported in recent years. She says many seniors are vulnerable to attacks on their personal information and money and are easy targets of fraudsters.
Atkinson has some tips for seniors on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud. She says seniors should never disclose their personal information to strangers, they should inform their grown-up children, friends or neighbors if they suspect something, don't keep cash or valuables at home and if they feel they're being targeted and victimized by a scammer, contact police right away. By the way, as for Rupert, the alleged fraudster caught on the West Coast he was arrested at a Vancouver hospital where he was receiving medical treatment, allegedly under a false name. A hospital worker apparently saw the episode on "America's Most Wanted" and recognized him.
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