THUNDER BAY – Two Toronto women have been arrested in connection with a “grandparent scam” that targeted a local resident, days after Thunder Bay police warned the community to be on the look-out for the scheme.
The Thunder Bay Police Service became aware of an incident involving what is colloquially known as the grandparent scam on July 12, the force said in a release Thursday.
The grandparent scam is a relatively common fraud technique in which potential victims are contacted by someone pretending to be their grandchild and seeking financial help.
Police issued a warning to the public on Tuesday of a case that appeared to involve local fraudsters.
The TBPS says a local victim was contacted by a person claiming to be their granddaughter. Another fraudster then came onto the line and, acting as a police officer, told the victim they would need to provide money to bail their granddaughter out of prison.
The victim complied and met one of the suspects in person to provide them with thousands of dollars, police said.
The victim was contacted again by the suspects, who demanded to meet again to receive more money, the TBPS said.
After an investigation, members of the Break and Enter and Robbery (BEAR) Unit located and identified two female suspects, who were arrested without incident Wednesday afternoon.
A 20-year-old Toronto woman and another 21-year-old Toronto woman are both charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Both appeared in bail court on Thursday and were remanded into custody with future appearance dates, police said.
The TBPS encourages anyone who receives similar requests from people claiming to be family members to hang up and attempt to reach the person independently to verify the story.
“Please take time to speak to your more vulnerable friends and family members who may be more aggressively targeted by these kinds of scams,” the TBPS urged the public.
More information about scams is available through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
