An Etobicoke resident has been arrested as part of a Halton Regional Police investigation into an alleged grandparent scam.
On May 25, police say they were made aware of a fraud in progress in Burlington.
"The suspect attended this location in order to collect $9,500 cash from a victim for the alleged and fabricated bail of his grandchild," police said in a press release.
"This is a theme often used by fraudsters throughout the GTA. In this occurrence, the caller (allegedly) identified as an RCMP officer and advised the intended victim to withdraw money from his bank and not to tell his wife or bank the reason for the withdrawal."
Police responded to a residence and arrested 22-year-old Jada Witter-Watts, who has been charged with fraud over $5,000.
Investigators are asking anyone who has further information or may have also been victimized to contact the Regional Fraud Unit Intake Office at 905-825-4777, ext. 8741.
According to police, the grandparent scam is a type of fraud that has been an ongoing trend across Halton, resulting in many community members being victimized.
Police offer the following tips to protect yourself:
- Attempt to verify the caller’s identity – do not volunteer any information, and further ask very specific, probing questions about the caller.
- Request to call back the initial caller – then independently find the number of the police service (or other purported agency in question) and call them directly to clarify the situation. If unsure, call your local police service and ask them for assistance.
- Attempt to directly call the loved one in question and clarify the matter with them.
