The Manitoba government is teaming up with the Winnipeg Police Service to crack down on phone scams targeting older adults.

 

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe Yesterday announced the launch of the “Just Hang Up” campaign, a province-wide effort aimed at stopping fraud before money is lost.

 

Grandparent and emergency scams often involve criminals posing as distressed family members, sometimes using artificial intelligence to sound convincing.

 

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Manitobans aged 60 and over reported losing nearly 350-thousand dollars to these scams in 2024.

 

The campaign encourages older adults to pause, verify the caller’s story with family, and when in doubt, just hang up.

 

The province is providing 134-thousand dollars from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to support advertising, community outreach, and an online resource hub at JustHangUp.ca.