Toronto police warn residents about 'grandparents scam' costing people thousands of dollars
Toronto police are warning grandparents in the city to be aware of a scam that has cost victims’ millions of dollars this year.
Some of the city’s residents have been scammed out of a total of $1 million over the course of a year after falling for the “grandparent scam.”
The scam involves a person calling a grandparent pretending to be their grandchild and saying they are in “big trouble” with the police and need money in order to not to spend a night in jail.
“They would sound in distress, crying and saying they are in trouble and they need help and they are asking for money and then the phone would be passed on to someone purporting to be a lawyer or a police officer and a cash demand would be made for their release,” Toronto police Det. Constable Ella Bhardwaj said.
Bhardwaj said the elderly victim is then told to go to the bank and withdraw large sums of cash to secure the release of their grandchild, and that a courier would come by their home to pick up the money, only then would the child be released from police custody.
Of course, police said the grandchild was never in police custody and the money would be gone.
In the most recent case, a grandparent was told to get $25, 000 from the bank and wait for the courier to pick up the money. The victim, only trying to help the family member, fell for the scam.
Bhardwaj says this is in no way how police operate.
“At no time will a police officer request you to go to your bank and take out a large amount of money to bring that back home so a courier can attend your house to pick it up. Police will not do that,” Bhardwaj said.
Over a year, 80 grandparents have fallen victim to this phone scam, taking a total of nearly $1 million.
“They are at a loss, they feel foolish, their emotions have been played,” Bhardwaj said.
Nikolaos Antonopoulos, 24-years-old of Laval Quebec, was arrested at the Toronto home of the latest victim after allegedly demanding another $21,000 for the safe release of their grandchild from police custody.
This time, however, the victim called police. He is charged with five counts of fraud over $5,000.
Toronto police say they would like any other victims to come forward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.