Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Peterborough / Northumberland Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU) have made an arrest with respect to the “Grandparent scam” that has been targeting residents in Central Region, including the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Peterborough County. 

On January 24, 2023, members of the PeterboroughDetachment of the Ontario Provincial Police received a report that a resident of Peterborough County was defrauded $8,000 through the “Grandparent Scam.” 

On January 26, 2023, the suspects attempted to defraudthe victim of another $9,500.

The Peterborough/Northumberland Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), with assistance from the Peterborough Detachment, and the Emergency Response Team (ERT), attended the victim’s residence and arrestedDavid ZYLA (age 21) of Mississauga, who was subsequently charged with:

• Fraud over $5000

 

The accused was charged and released with a first appearance date set for April 25, 2023, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough

As part of an on-going investigation, on January 27, 2023, the Peterborough / Northumberland CSCU executed a warrant to search a residential in Mississauga.

On February 1, 2023, the Peterborough / Northumberland CSCU arrested Jenna MOHAMMED, age 20, of Mississauga, who was subsequently charged with:

• Fraud over $5000. 

The accused was charged and released with a first appearance date set for March 8, 2023, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough. 

The “grandparent scam” is pervasive, and has several iterations; however, it generally works like this:

Scammers will contact their victims by phone, claiming to be their grandchild, a lawyer, or a police officer, representing their grandchild. They will then make the victim believe their grandchild has been arrested and needs help, in the form of bail money, otherwise they will go directly to jail. The victim will be instructed to go to their banking institution and withdraw cash to pay for their grandchild’s bail. The scammers will then obtain the address of the victim, and physically the residence to collect the funds, posing as a courier or representative of the court. 

Here are some tips to help navigate this scam:

• Do not provide your home address

• Do not provide any banking or personal information

• Ask for a number to call them back

• Ask for the address of the courthouse or police station they are being held at

• Phone your local police service and report the incident immediately

If you know a grandparent, please reach out to them, and have a conversation on what to do if they get a phone call like this.