Foiled grandparent scam ends with fraud charges for pair from Brampton
Published February 9, 2024 at 11:54 am
Two men from Brampton have been arrested after police say they tried to scam an elderly victim in Cambridge.
Waterloo Regional Police say the takedowns happened on Wednesday after members of the police Financial Crime Unit were alerted to suspects trying to defraud “an elderly victim.”
Investigators say the fraud was a grandparent scam – a type of fraud where victims are contacted by scammers impersonating a grandchild or another close relative, saying they are in a crisis and need immediate financial assistance.
One common grandparent scam sees fraudsters claim to be a family member who has been arrested and needs money for bail.
“Victims often lose thousands of dollars before realizing the situation is untrue, and they are being taken advantage of,” police said in a statement.
Investigators say officers arrested two men from Brampton in connection to the attempted scam, charging each with one count of fraud over $5,000.
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Police have not released the identities of the accused, who are scheduled to make a court appearance on March 19.
Just last month police in St. Thomas and Stratford laid charges against a teen and a man from Brampton in multiple grandparent scams.
Grandparent scams are becoming more common across Canada, and police are reminding the public that officers will never contact anyone to demand money for the release of an arrested person.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or believes they may have been a victim of a similar scam is asked to contact their local police or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.waterloocrimestoppers.com.
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