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
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.