Sudbury police charge Ottawa woman in grandparent scheme
A 20-year-old Ottawa woman has been charged for allegedly scamming a Sudbury senior out of $9,000 in a grandparent scheme and Sudbury police say they are concerned there may be more victims.
It is a scam that has been circulating for years, but elderly victims in several northern Ontario communities have fallen prey to it recently prompting police to issue warnings.
On Monday, Sudbury police said they received a complaint from a local woman who said she received a phone call from someone pretending to be her granddaughter from phone number 236-335-0168.
The woman posing as the granddaughter said she had been in a collision and police had found $10,000 in cannabis in her vehicle, Sudbury police said in a news release Thursday morning.
"An individual personating a police officer then came on the phone and said that $9,000 was required in order for her 'granddaughter' to make bond," police said.
The person claiming to be a police officer then made arrangements with the elderly woman to pick the money up from her house.
The victim took the money out of her bank account and a white woman five feet, five inches tall with blond hair worn in a ponytail picked it up from her home.
"At the time of the incident, the woman was wearing a grey shirt with 'security' written across the front. The woman arrived at the residence in a white Audi Q5 with a black rack on the top and no front licence plate," Sudbury police said about the suspect.
Officers arrested the accused and charged her with fraud over $5,000 in connection to the incident.
She was released following a bail hearing on Wednesday.
"There is a concern that there may be additional community members who have fallen victim to this scam and have not yet reported it to police. If you have been involved in a similar incident, you are asked to contact police at 705-675-9171," police said.
"As a general reminder, in Canada, an officer will never contact you in relation to 'posting bail/bond' for a friend or family member, nor will the police send someone to your residence in order to collect money."
The Parkside Older Adult Centre in Sudbury offers information sessions on scams and ways people can protect themselves.
"There (are) romance scams out there, there are fraudulent scams that are targeting seniors and we want to make sure that they have the tools available to help them identify risks," said Natalie Labbee, assistant manager at the ParkSide Older Adult Centre.
Police said everyone need to take steps to protect themselves.
"Our advice would be just to limit the amount of information you put out on social media as fraudsters so typically use social media in order to locate their victims," said Sudbury police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn.
"In this case, they used social media to determine whether or not you do have a grandchild and then they are able to use that in order to pull on your heartstrings."
Here are some ways to protect yourself from these types of scams:
- Take time to verify the story. Scammers are counting on you wanting to quickly help your loved one in an emergency.
- Call the child’s parents or friends to find out about their whereabouts.
- Ask the person on the phone questions that only your loved one would be able to answer and verify their identity before taking steps to help.
- Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust.
- Never give out any personal information to the caller.
Find more information here.
--With files from Alana Everson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.