Durham Police have charged one male suspect for defrauding victims in a Grandparent Scam.
On Thursday, August 18, the victims received a phone call from a male claiming to be their grandson who advised he was in trouble and needed bail money. Someone claiming to be an officer of the court then advised them that their grandson had been involved in a car accident injuring a pregnant female and $9,000 was required as bail. The suspect arranged for a ‘bondsman’ or courier to pick up the money, said a police statement.
Having been the victims of the same scam earlier in the month, the victims immediately contacted police. Investigators from the DRPS Financial Crimes Unit attended the area and were able to arrest the suspect without incident.
The suspect is from Markham. Name, photo and further details available at www.drps.ca.
Further investigation connected the suspect to another incident less than an hour before in which the victims provided $9,000.
DRPS would like to remind residents who receive any unanticipated requests for money to be extremely cautious and speak to a family member or trusted advisor for support.