Police Arrest Two Suspects in Waterloo Region in Connection With ‘Grandparent Scam’

A police car in a file photo. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Waterloo Regional Police say two suspects have been arrested after allegedly running a “grandparent scam” victimizing two separate senior citizens.

In a Jan.18 news release, police said a Quebec male, 21, and a Toronto male, 47, face charges of “two counts of fraud over $5000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.”

The latest victim was an 86-year-old man who was contacted by telephone on the morning of Jan. 17. He was told his grandson was in jail and was advised to send $8,000 for his bail. The elderly man instead contacted police.

Later that same day, the suspects contacted an 80-year-old female, demanding $8,000 to have her grandson released from jail.

Both suspects are in police custody awaiting a bail hearing.

This follows two similar arrests earlier this month. On Jan. 17, police announced they had arrested a male, 30, and a female, 23, both from Quebec, and charged them with fraud over $5,000 in another alleged grandparent scam.

Police said on Jan. 12, a 90-year-old victim was scammed out of $8,000 for bail money for a jailed grandchild.

On Jan 16, another man, age 79, was contacted in a similar scam demanding $9,000 for bail money for his grandson. The senior called police, who apprehended the suspects on their way to pick up the money from the senior’s house.

On the Rise

The grandparent scam appears to be on the rise. This month Halifax RCMP and regional police issued a warning to the public, stating they had received numerous complaints of fraud since mid-December.

“Victims are contacted in a perceived urgent situation and instructed to provide money to alleviate a bad circumstance of a loved one such as, but not limited to, being in jail or in a car accident,” said the police. “In some of these incidents, victims have given up thousands of dollars.”

“These fraudsters are very good at what they do; they’re believable.”

The Canadian Bankers Association also issued a public warning about the grandparent scam on Nov. 28, 2022, with tips to help protect seniors.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), in 2021, the grandparent, or emergency scam as it is also known, defrauded victims out of $2.4 million. In 2022, that number had already doubled by early December, to $4.2 million.

CAFC said the scam “preys” on an individual’s fear of a loved one being hurt or in trouble. Con artists use phone, email, text, or fax to target individuals, claiming to be someone the victim knows, and that money is needed urgently.

Some of the scammers do extensive research on social media, and may even know the name of a grandchild when they call, according to CAFC. The scammer might say they need bail money because they’ve been arrested, claim they have been in a car accident, or pretend they are trying get home from abroad.

Sometimes the criminals pose as police officers or lawyers, and impersonate the grandchild or family member. In some situations, suspects have obtained the victim’s address and physically arrived to obtain the money.

The scam has taken place in multiple provinces across the country.