The phone call that shattered Elaine Cohen’s world came on a quiet Tuesday morning. The 70-year-old Côte-Saint-Luc resident answered to hear what sounded exactly like her bank’s automated system.
“It was so legit,” Cohen told me when we met at her sunlit apartment. “The voice, the menu options—everything matched what I’d heard dozens of times before when calling my actual bank.”
What followed was a masterclass in modern deception. After selecting an option to speak with a representative, Cohen was connected to a man identifying himself as a bank security specialist. He informed her of suspicious transactions on her account and offered to help secure her funds.
“He knew details about my account that made me trust him completely,” Cohen explained, her hands trembling slightly as she recounted the experience. “He even had the last four digits of my card number.”
The scammer convinced Cohen to transfer $5,000 to what he claimed was a “secure holding account” while the bank investigated the supposed fraud. Only after speaking with her daughter later that day did Cohen realize she had been victimized.
Montreal police confirmed this case joins a troubling pattern targeting seniors across the city. Inspector Marie Deschamps of the SPVM’s fraud division noted a 27% increase in similar scams over the past six months.
“These aren’t amateur operations,” Deschamps explained. “They use sophisticated technology to spoof legitimate bank phone numbers and employ scripts that mirror actual bank protocols.”
What makes these scams particularly effective is their psychological manipulation. Dr. Sophie Bergeron, a researcher at Université de Montréal who studies elder fraud, points to the deliberate creation of fear and urgency.
“The scammers immediately establish authority and create panic about account security,” Bergeron said. “This triggers a stress response that bypasses rational thinking, especially in older adults who may already have concerns about financial security.”
The fraud squad has identified several red flags Montreal residents should watch for. Any caller requesting money transfers to “secure” accounts is almost certainly fraudulent. Legitimate financial institutions never ask customers to move money as part of a fraud investigation.
Cohen’s neighbor Madeleine Tremblay, 68, received a similar call last month but recognized the scam because of an article she’d read in Le Devoir.
“They used the exact same approach with me,” Tremblay said. “But I knew banks don’t operate that way. The moment they asked me to transfer money, I hung up.”
Community organizations across Montreal have mobilized to protect vulnerable seniors. The NDG Senior Citizens’ Council has launched free weekly workshops on recognizing phone scams. Executive Director Paul Dufresne says attendance has tripled since January.
“Our seniors are fighting back with knowledge,” Dufresne told me. “We’re teaching them to pause, breathe, and verify any call by hanging up and dialing the official number on their bank card.”
For Cohen, the financial wound is deep but healing. Her bank was able to recover approximately half the stolen funds after she reported the fraud within 24 hours. The emotional impact, however, lingers.
“I feel foolish and violated,” she admitted quietly. “I’ve always been careful with my money. To be tricked like this at my age… it shakes your confidence.”
Cohen has transformed her experience into purpose, now volunteering at the Côte-Saint-Luc Senior Centre where she shares her story as warning to others. Last week’s session drew over 40 attendees.
Montreal police urge anyone receiving suspicious calls to hang up immediately and report the incident to both their financial institution and local police station. The Anti-Fraud Centre of Canada also maintains a reporting system that helps authorities track emerging scam patterns.
