A 24-year-old from Waterloo is now the fifteenth suspect charged in an enormous bust targetting seniors within the “grandparent scam.”
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) introduced on Thursday that Jahzion Holness-Edie was the newest individual charged in Venture Sharp.
The OPP say the rip-off begins with a senior with a landline telephone getting a name from somebody posing as a police officer or lawyer.
The caller claims the sufferer’s grandchild, or different relative, is in custody and wishes bail cash from the sufferer.
If they comply with put up the cash, police say a “money mule” comes to choose up the money. Police say the “mule” is most frequently an unsuspecting courier.
The OPP say “victims felt emotional distress and fearful of the financial impact on their lives.”
Venture Sharp was a 15-month-long investigation involving 11 police companies in Ontario and Quebec, together with United States Homeland Safety Investigations.
On April 14, OPP introduced that 14 suspects had been arrested, with 56 charges laid.
Holness-Edie was charged on Wednesday with fraud over $5,000; prison group – participation; and prison group – fee of the offence for a prison group.
Holness-Edie is the one Ontario individual charged, all the opposite accused are from Quebec.
The OPP says victims of the emergency grandparent rip-off, or any fraud, ought to name their native police or CrimeStoppers.
To get in contact with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, or by going to antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
