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
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A man was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.