Teen from Brampton charged after more than $12,000 stolen in grandparent scam
Published January 17, 2024 at 11:11 am
An 18-year-old from Brampton is facing several charges after allegedly targeting and stealing over $12,000 from multiple victims in a grandparent scam.
The first incident happened on Friday when the Stratford Police Service says a victim received a phone call from someone who identified himself as a police officer.
The man on the other end of the line told the victim their grandson had been arrested for a drug offence and requested bail money for his release, police said.
The fraudster was able to fleece some $8,400 in cash from the victim who only discovered days later that they had been scammed. Police say two more victims were contacted by phone and given a similar story on Jan. 15.
One of the additional victims paid the scammer $7,300 in cash but the other victim contacted a family member before making any payments, according to police. The victim then contacted police and told officers the caller would be at their home within the hour.
That’s where police say they intercepted an 18-year-old male who resisted his arrest, but was brought into custody with no injuries reported.
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Police have charged an 18-year-old male from Brampton with three counts each of fraud over $5,000 and extortion, and one count of resist arrest.
Police have not released the name of the accused, who was held in custody for a bail hearing on Tuesday.
Investigators say grandparent scams are becoming more common across Canada, and the incidents have police reminding the public that officers will never contact anyone to demand money for the release of an arrested person.
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