Ont. senior loses $100,000 in scam that preys on grandparents

A popular scam making the rounds in recent weeks duped a senior out of $100,000, according to police.

York Regional Police say an 81-year-old Newmarket man and his wife were conned into believing their grandson was in trouble and needed thousands of dollars to help in what's being called the Grandparent or Emergency scam.

Police say the scheme took place over two months and started when the senior's wife took a call from someone posing as their grandson.

"He was crying. He was upset," the victim said of the phone call.

"He claimed that he had been arrested while he was a passenger in his friend's car, which unbeknownst to him, contained illegal drugs and a gun," the police report states.

"My grandson, also, was only allowed to talk to us for a short period of time, just a couple of minutes," the victim notes.

"A second person, claiming to be an RCMP officer, soon gained the trust of the couple and, over the course of two months, persuaded them to make four separate payments to assist their grandson," the report adds.

• RELATED: Innisfil senior conned by Grandparent Scam loses thousands
• Barrie police make arrest in Grandparent Scam
• Haliburton, Ont. man scammed out of thousands in grandparent fraud

The victim said the RCMP officer told them the judge had issued a gag order stopping them from discussing the matter with anyone, including family.

"They said that if we got the bail, he could be released, and he could go home," the victim says. "We decided to help him."

Police say the grandparents knew their grandson and his voice well, but they were convinced he was in trouble.

"He [RCMP officer] promised us in the beginning that once the bail order was lifted, we would get our funds back," the man says.

Finally, the senior decided to call his grandson to check in and ask about the situation, only to discover he had been scammed.

"I had this real sinking, immediately," he says.

Police say that they have been able to recover $16,000 of the couple's funds to date through the investigation and cooperation of financial institutions.

"I didn't feel any anger that this happened. But I did want justice," the senior concluded.

While he wishes to remain anonymous, he hopes his experience will raise awareness for others.

If you have been a victim of fraud, and have lost money, report the incident promptly to the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-866-876-5423. To report frauds where no money has been lost, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.