A Quebec man has been arrested in relation to a fraud investigation conducted by the Crime Unit from the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains Ontario Provincial Police, Huronia West OPP and the Ottawa Police Service.
Investigations began when the victim was contacted by someone who identified themselves as a police officer reporting that their grandson had been arrested and was being held for bail.
The person asked for $8,000 to be paid by the victim and advised he would send someone to the victim's home to collect the money, the OPP said in a news release.
The male posing as a police officer provided a code to share with the individual collecting the money to ensure it was received by the correct person.
As well, the male posing as a police officer advised the victim that there was a gag order, or publication ban, and that the victim could not speak to anyone about details of the case.
Shortly after the call, a male attended the victim's residence and collected the money, police said.
Later the same day, the victim received another call from a male who identified themselves as a police officer, advising they would require another $9,500 as a result of a judge's order. However, this time, the money would have to be sent via courier to an address in Ottawa.
The victim felt this was suspicious and called police to report the incident, which led to Ottawa Police Services becoming involved.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, a 24-year-old male from Montreal has been arrested and charges are pending, police said.
Police noted that emergency frauds, also known as the grandparent scam, usually target loving grandparents, taking advantage of their emotions to rob them of their money.
The typical scam starts with the victim receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be their grandchild.
The "grandchild" goes on to say they're in trouble-common misfortunes include having been in a car accident, charged with an offence or in legal peril, or trouble returning home from a foreign country-and they need money immediately.
The scammer will advise the victim that a payment for supposed bail, legal fees or fine is required immediately.
If you know an elderly person, police suggested reaching out to them to have a conversation on what to do if they get a phone call like this.
For more information on this and other common scams in Canada, check out the Competition Bureau of Canada's Little Black Book of Scams.
For additional information on ongoing scams in Canada and to report fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online here.
