73-year-old Ontario woman loses $5,000 to grandparent scam, Quebec suspects charged: police
Police in York Region, Ont. say a 73-year-old grandmother is the latest victim of a scam that’s seen Canadian grandparents defrauded out of millions of dollars in recent years.
In a news release issued Wednesday, police said, on Nov. 23, investigators received information about a victim who lost $5,000 in what’s become known as the “grandparent scam.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Like a number of other reported instances of the scam, the victim received a phone call from a suspect who claimed to be a police officer. The caller told the victim that her grandson had been arrested and that his release would cost $9,000.
Police said three suspects then attended the victim’s residence in a vehicle. One of the suspects allegedly collected $5,000 from the victim while the other two remained in the car.
Once the suspects left the residence, police said, the victim received another phone call where the caller instructed her to pay the remaining balance of $4,000.
“Investigators located the vehicle and stopped it in the City of Brampton before the suspects took more cash from the victim,” police said in the release.
As a result of an investigation, police said Dikran Artin Khano, 22, of Laval, Que., Kaouane Rami, 21, of no fixed address, and Kasson Roker, 19, of Laval, Que. were placed under arrest.
All three suspects are facing charges of fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and extortion.
Roker is separately charged with fail to comply with court order.
The use of the scam itself is not limited to Ontario.
It’s estimated that grandparents across the county lost $4.2 million so far in 2022, according to a report released by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) earlier this week.
That’s nearly double the $2.4 million the CAFC said victims of the scam lost in 2021.
In an effort to protect other grandparents from falling victim to the scam, York Regional Police have offered up a number of tips to stay vigilant, including:
- Never offer personal or financial information to the caller
- Call the grandchild or family member in question, at a phone number you recognize as their own
- Ask the caller personal questions that only your grandchild could answer but an imposter could not
- Verify the story or information with family first
- Press the caller for details if they identify as a government official and verify their information
- Never send money to someone you don’t know
- Please take some time and ask yourself: Could this be a scam? Does it make sense?
“These types of frauds may be repeated over the course of days, weeks or even months, as the criminals gain the trust of their victims,” police warned.
York police said that if you believe you have been a victim of fraud, but have not lost any money, call the CAFC at 1-888-495-8501.
To report an incident in which you have lost money, you can do so here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.