An 88-year-old Picton man almost became a victim of phone fraud, but a post office worker recognized the scam and stopped it in time.

It happened on Friday morning, when the man got a phone call from a woman claiming to be the man's granddaughter, Ontario Provincial Police said.

She told him she'd been in a car accident, and that the lawyer she hit was demanding money. She passed the phone to a man, who told the grandfather he needed to send a money gram worth $995 to clear everything up.

The elderly man went to the post office in Picton and started the process to send the money gram. But a worker at the post office recognized that it might be fraud, and advised the man that he should stop to think about it.

"After reflecting on the scenario, the victim realized the call from the distraught female was indeed fraudulent," an OPP media release said.

OPP are reminding people to be wary of phone calls like this, and to hang up if a call sounds suspicious. Victims should then call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 to file a report.