The Nelson RCMP have received two separate calls related to an alleged phone scammer posing as a nephew in trouble to trick residents into sending money.
"The nephew had have either been involved in a crash involving a out of province plated rental vehicle and needed cash to pay for the damages through a lawyer out of province or was in the hospital needing cash for medical expenses," the RCMP stated in a press release issued Sunday afternoon.
In both cases money was sent out of concern for the well-being of the nephew to what seemed to be legitimate lawyers or doctors via MoneyGram.
Police are urging anyone who receives a call of this nature to follow up immediately with other family members involved to confirm whether the incident is real.
"This type of scam relies on suspect access to social media sites who then use those family connections to then make the calls targeting the family member's emotions to send the money," said the release.
The calls come on private numbers, and the caller has given a false name which makes it impossible to investigate.
The Nelson RCMP encourages anyone who has experienced a similar incident to call the Nelson RCMP at 250-352-2156.