Halifax police charge 23-year-old with targeting seniors in telephone scam

Halifax Regional Police have charged a 23-year-old man with five counts of fraud for targeting seniors.

According to a Tuesday news release, police received five reports about a scam in January and February of this year in which a fraudster called an elderly person posing as a family member in trouble who needs money.

The news release also said the suspects in some instances would make arrangements to pick up the money in person while pretending to be police officers. 

The man is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court at a later date.

He is charged with five counts of fraud over $5,000, five counts of possession of property obtained by a crime over $5,000, possession of stolen credit card, participating in a criminal organization and conspiracy to commit fraud. 

In early October, an elderly couple from Pictou County  said they were defrauded out of $22,000 by a similar scam. Police remind the public to not provide any personal or financial information to anyone over the phone, adding they never call families asking for bail money.

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