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Thursday, March 4Rhythm and Stomp youth concert at VictoriaHall, 1:30 pm. Performers Bruno Royand Louis-Daniel Joly journey throughpercussion history, the world over. Cost:$3 per child; accompanying adults arefree. Info: 514.989.5226.Friday, March 5• Atwater Library (1200 Atwater)lunchtime series celebrates internationalwomen’s day with professor Jane Everettwho talks about Gabrielle Roy’s reflectionson the lives of women, 12:30 pm. Coffee.Free admission, but donations invited.• “Poverty – a life sentence?” photographyexhibition by student Katherine Belisle atWestmount Park United Church (4695 deMaisonneuve), 4:30 to 7 pm. Prints forsale and donations accepted. Proceeds goto Sac à Dos, a multi-service day center forMontreal’s homeless.Sunday, March 7“Power of Movement 2010” fundraisingfor arthritis research at Sacred HeartSchool (3635 Atwater Ave.), 11 am to 12:30pm. Arrive 20 minutes early; bring a yogamat, water and towel. Join in on a largescale yoga mega-session taking place inten Canadian cities. Register and collectpledges at www.powerofmovement.ca.Tuesday, March 9• First of a free 4-week series of “LaughterLabs” at Contactivity Centre for seniors. 11am to 12:30 pm. Beat the winter blues withcomedy films, jokes and an overview ofthe role of comedy throughout history.Westmount Park United Church, 4695 deMaisonneuve. Info: 514.932.2326.• The Westmount Horticultural Societypresents speaker Ismael Hautecoeur onrooftop gardening, 7 to 9 pm at WestmountLibrary. Cost: $5 for guests.WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT – March 2-3, 2010 – 21Westmount couple victim of ‘grandson scam’RCMP says the nationwide phone scam is on the riseBy Isaac OlsonWhen a couple living in 4300 deMaisonneuve got a call from whom theythought was their grandson pleading forhelp after a drunken car wreck landed himin a Mississauga jail cell, they did whatmost loving grandparents would do – theyopened their hearts and their wallets.The voice, using their grandson’s nickname,was hard to hear over the sounds ofwhat seemed to be the inside of a jail, explainedWestmounter John Mason. Thecaller said he only had two minutes to talk,asked them to not tell his father and thathis legal aide would call with further instructions.Mason and his wife were eventuallyconned out of about $8,000 between February4 and 5, wiring cash with hopes ofbailing their otherwise well-behaved,home-owning, 21-year-old grandson out ofa sticky legal situation. Their actual grandson,however, had never left Montreal andhad no idea his grandparents were receivingsuch a call.“You’re totally embarrassed after youfind out what has happened to you, becauseyou figure ‘Oh my God, how stupidcan you be?’” Mason said. “But what Ikeep coming back to is, in the heat of themoment, you stop thinking logically.You’re thinking about family.”Mounties Louis Robertson and TimCaron both said this type of “emergencyscam,” commonly called a “grandsonscam,” was first identified about threeyears ago and it has been on the rise thelast six months.“Grandparents always have a little softspot in their heart for their grandchildren,”said Robertson, an Ontario-basedmedia relations officer with the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) CanadianAnti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).Caron, a corporal who manages complaintsfor the commercial crimes sectionStudents speak upcontinued from p.16“My March break plans are to relax andgo to my friend’s house to shoot cans withmy rifle and play on the computer. I alsowant to spend time with my father.”Jérémie B-C., grade 8“Well, my friend is going on vacation,so I think I’m going to play with my dog,Mia, and go walking and rollerblading. I’llgo to my grandmother’s house for supperof the Westmount-based RCMP, saidfraudsters will play recordings of a jail inthe background, employ rushing tacticsand use gathered personal information totrick victims into believing the story.Caron said these criminals aren’t targetingWestmounters, but instead operatingacross the country in a random,hit-or-miss scheme. The “don’t-tell-myparents”request is a solid indicator of ascam, he continued, and he recommendsalways verifying a story before taking anyaction.Citing the request to wire cash as anothersign of fraud, Robertson recommendedtaking note of any clues about asuspicious caller, be it phone numbers ornames, and then report it to the RCMPand CAFC.For now, Mason and his family have establishedan identifying codeword to beused in any suspicious situation. Caronrecommends other families employ similartactics.“This type of scam is taking advantageof a person’s good nature and willingnessto help out another,” said Caron. “That’swhy it works so well.”Robertson said these criminals are difficultto catch because it is a global issue.They will buy a cheap, pay-by-the-minutecell phone in Vancouver, for example, set itup with a Montreal area code and thenscam somebody in Toronto, he said. Reportingthe crime is the first step, saidCaron, as Mounties work to quickly makearrests and eliminate these telemarketingcriminal organizations.In 2009, Canadians reportedly lostnearly $60 million to identity thefts andmass market frauds, with $4.6 millionworth coming from Quebec, according tothe CAFC’s annual report. Those numbers,however, represent about five percentof the actual amount, noted Robertson, becausefraud is often not reported.and the rest of the time, I’m going to stayhome with my family and take care of mydog.”Emily R., grade 8Send your answers to this week’squestion, along with your name, gradeand school to whenthebellrings@ymail.com. The deadline is Saturday,March 13 at noon.This week’s question: What are theCanadiens’ chances of making the playoffs?ElectronicIndependentsavailableEnjoy the Indie at supper timeon Tuesdays!Sign up by writing us:office@westmountindependent.com.Comin’ UpWednesday, March 10Westmount Library’s 2 O’Clock Seriespresents “How He Lied to Her Husband”with the Golden Stagers. WestmountRoom, 2 pm. Info: dlach@westmount.orgSaturday, March 13West Hill Grandmothers Group presentsa concert of Celtic music with the ArisaigTrio at Westmount Park Church (4695 deMaisonneuve), 2 pm. Refreshments, suggesteddonation $15. Proceeds go to theGrand mothers to Grandmothers campaignof the Stephen Lewis Foundation.Info: 514.932.1383.Sunday, March 14St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 12 pm. Bus leavesVictoria Hall at 11:15 am to bring people tofloat downtown and return to Westmountafter parade. Volunteers welcome. Info:514.989.5265.Always OnSpaces remain for Centre Greene’safter-school program: gym & park time,homework hour & snack. Ages 5 to 12,$195/month (sliding scale and family discountsavailable, please call and inquire).Full or part time, PED day options available.Info: 514.931.6202 or www. centregreene.org.Tuesdays and ThursdaysTumbling Tots playgroup at CentreGreene, 1090 Greene Ave., from 9:30 to11 am. $3.50/child per morning. Info: 514.931.6202 or www.centregreene.org.WednesdaysVolunteers needed for Stroke Club atTemple Emanu-El- Beth Sholom, 9 am to1 pm. Arts & crafts, speech stimulation,light exercise, games, social outings. Info:Audrey MacGregor 514. 931. 6942.Thursdays at 2 pmBallroom Dance Classes for those livingwith stage 1 or stage 2 Parkinson’s atCentre Greene. Must bring an able-bodiedpartner. The goal of this class is to learn todance and have fun. For info or to register:Ellen Rubin at 514. 484.2016. No dropins.