Montreal man arrested in middle of ‘grandparent scam’ in Georgetown

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Published June 9, 2022 at 3:33 pm

A Montreal man has been arrested in relation to a “grandparent scam” in Georgetown and Halton Region.

Kevin Tshiyoyi, 27, of Montreal was arrested Wednesday (June 8) by Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) who were made aware of the scam while it was in progress.

Police arrived at a residence in Georgetown where the suspect had gone in order to collect $10,000 cash from a victim for the alleged and fabricated bail of her grandson.

Tshiyoyi (photo below) was placed under arrest by investigators and charged with Fraud Over $5000.

The grandparent scam is a type of fraud that has been an ongoing trend across Halton Region resulting in many community members being victimized.

The scams typically involve the victim receiving an unsolicited phone call regarding a loved one being in distress.

The perpetrators falsely identify themselves as a loved one, or impersonate a police officer and/or other participants of the criminal justice system falsely claiming that the loved one is in police custody as a result of a specific incident. They request a larger sum of money to have the supposed loved one released from custody, or to pay for associated bills/fines accrued as a result of the alleged incident.

Through further investigation after the suspect’s arrest, HRPS were able to identify a hotel room where the accused was staying.

A search warrant was executed on Thursday (June 9) at an Oakville hotel room and police were able to locate evidence related to additional fraud offences in Halton and neighboring jurisdictions.

In total, investigators have charged Tshiyoyi with 11 counts of Fraud over $5000 and Unauthorized Possession of a Credit Card.

Total losses by victims in these occurrences is more than $80,000.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone who has information or has been victimized by him to contact the Regional Fraud Unit – Intake Office at 905-825-4777, ext. 8741.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the website at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

A Montreal man has been arrested in relation to a “grandparent scam” in Georgetown and Halton Region.

Kevin Tshiyoyi, 27, of Montreal was arrested Wednesday (June 8) by Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) who were made aware of the scam while it was in progress.

Police arrived at a residence in Georgetown where the suspect had gone in order to collect $10,000 cash from a victim for the alleged and fabricated bail of her grandson.

Tshiyoyi (photo below) was placed under arrest by investigators and charged with Fraud Over $5000.

The grandparent scam is a type of fraud that has been an ongoing trend across Halton Region resulting in many community members being victimized.

The scams typically involve the victim receiving an unsolicited phone call regarding a loved one being in distress.

The perpetrators falsely identify themselves as a loved one, or impersonate a police officer and/or other participants of the criminal justice system falsely claiming that the loved one is in police custody as a result of a specific incident. They request a larger sum of money to have the supposed loved one released from custody, or to pay for associated bills/fines accrued as a result of the alleged incident.

Through further investigation after the suspect’s arrest, HRPS were able to identify a hotel room where the accused was staying.

A search warrant was executed on Thursday (June 9) at an Oakville hotel room and police were able to locate evidence related to additional fraud offences in Halton and neighboring jurisdictions.

In total, investigators have charged Tshiyoyi with 11 counts of Fraud over $5000 and Unauthorized Possession of a Credit Card.

Total losses by victims in these occurrences is more than $80,000.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone who has information or has been victimized by him to contact the Regional Fraud Unit – Intake Office at 905-825-4777, ext. 8741.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the website at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

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