2 Toronto men arrested after 'grandparent scam' in Niagara: police

Niagara police say two Toronto men are facing fraud charges after an alleged scam targeting seniors, also called a "grandparent scam."

Niagara police say officers started a fraud investigation after a man in his 80s in Welland believed he'd been cheated out of $9,000 cash on Monday. 

Police say the senior received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be his grandchild.

The man, claiming to be a grandchild, said he needed legal help.

Police say a second person came on the phone claiming to be a lawyer.

The man in his 80s agreed to pay "legal bills" and withdrew money from his local bank before someone came to his home and picked up the money.

While the officer was investigating, the unknown men contacted the senior again, demanding another $10,000.

When the men came to pick up the money, officers stopped them near Highway 406 and the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way in St. Catharines.

Officers arrested and charged a 23-year-old man and 24-year-old man. Both Toronto men face two counts of fraud over $5,000.

They were held in custody and attended a video bail hearing on Aug. 24 before being released from custody pending a future court date.

This comes after Niagara police launched a Point of Sale Scam Intervention Program in June after seeing an uptick in grandparent scams. The program helps create awareness and education for retail and financial institution employees.

Niagara police said officers investigated 57 grandparent scams between February and March, which saw scammers get away with roughly $150,000 — all of which had been cash withdrawn from banks.

In another instance in May, police said an elderly couple bought $22,000 in gift cards from three different retailers and none of the staff questioned the purchases. That money also ended up in the hands of scammers, police said.

Police are still investigating the reported grandparent scam from Monday and "believe there may be more victims in Niagara and possible witnesses."

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives of the Central Fraud Unit by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009487. They can also contact Crime Stoppers.