Charge laid after senior loses $9,000 in grandparent scam

Police have charged a man in connection with a grandparent scam in which an elderly woman was defrauded of more than $9,000.

An 83-year-old woman was contacted on March 28 by a person claiming that her son was in a collision and a pregnant woman was involved. Police said the scammer passed the phone to another person, who pretended to be the victim’s son, who then proceeded to cry, say he had COVID-19 and was unable to speak.

The phone was then passed back to the original caller, who said he was a lawyer named “Daniel Banks.”

Police said the fake lawyer told the woman he required $9,500 in bail money to prevent her son from having to stay in jail.

The victim got cash from her financial institution and the man came to her home to picked up the money.

“The woman was told her son would be released after the funds were obtained and he would attend her address within the hour,” police said in a news release issued Thursday.

“The woman contacted her son after waiting for his arrival and discovered she was scammed.”

Investigators were able to identify a suspect using video surveillance footage showing the man attending the woman’s home to pick up the money.

On April 5, a suspect identified by police as 20-year-old Toronto resident Jahmal Reubin Michael Herbert was taken into custody. He was charged with fraud over $5,000.

The charge has not been proven in court.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and that anyone with information should contact officers at 416-808-7300 or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously.