Several police forces collaborated on the investigation
Police have arrested 14 people in Montreal following a coordinated effort to tackle a financial crime targeting older Canadians across the country, with 56 charges laid.
Ontario Provincial Police and ten other police services in Ontario and Quebec have been running Project Sharp since February 2023 but the probe began in October 2022.
The so called ‘grandparents scam’ involves fraudsters calling people, usually aged 46-95 years, on their landlines claiming to be an officer or lawyer. They told victims that their grandchild or other family member was in custody and bail money was required for their release.
More than $2.2 million has been scammed from victims across Canada (but mostly Ontario) including around $739,000 between January 22 and April 8 this year with 126 victims caught out including some who were scammed more than once. Money was usually collected by ‘money mules’ working for the scammers.
Scammers told victims they must not tell anyone about their relative’s arrest or the bail payments due to a gag order.
Investigators have worked with financial institutions and the Canadian Bankers Association to prevent or recover more than $559,000 in losses.
“Our dedicated officers tirelessly pursued justice in this complex investigation by working diligently to investigate, disrupt and dismantle the criminal organization targeting vulnerable individuals across the country,” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns. “Frauds can cause significant emotional and financial distress to the victims, and our officers remain steadfast in their mission to safeguard our communities.”
None of the allegations against those arrested or charged have been proven in court.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says it is tracking a number of other variations of emergency scams including those occurring by text message or social media across Canada, which are “a persistent and evolving threat to Canadians.”
