In a significant crackdown on elder fraud, police have arrested 14 individuals connected to a nationwide scam that preyed on senior citizens, deceiving them out of a staggering $739,000. The suspects, nabbed in Montreal, faced multiple charges, including extortion and impersonating law enforcement.
Dubbed “Project Sharp,” the investigation was a collaborative effort between Ontario and Quebec police forces, spotlighting the extensive “emergency grandparents scam” that targeted older individuals with landline phones. Authorities revealed that these criminals posed as police officers or other authority figures, manipulating grandparents into believing their loved ones were in legal peril and urgently needed money.
The operation began after an intelligence probe in 2022 and involved meticulous strategies by the fraudsters to exploit their victims across Canada, primarily in Ontario. While four suspects remain in custody, the others have been released on bail. The police are continuing their efforts to clamp down on such deceptive practices that exploit vulnerable seniors.