Earlier this year, Whistleblower reported on the "grandparent scam," in which seniors are tricked into sending money to callers who pose as grandchildren in dire straits. Arrests are rare, because the swindlers are often based in Canada, their victims are American and the money is moved with hard-to-trace wire transactions.
So it's notable that investigators in suburban Toronto announced an arrest last week of a man on 39 counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the grandparent scam. The Peel Regional Police said some alleged victims of Johnathan Hunter, 40, of Toronto, live in the United States, but the agency had few details Monday. Peel is a regional municipality (the equivalent of a county) just west of Toronto.
If you think this kind of scam is happening to you, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
