A male from Quebec and a local female resident have both been arrested by Kingston Police in relation to an often-used “Grandparent Scam” that targeted an elderly woman in the state of Illinois.
The intended victim received a phone call from a male advising he was a Kingston, Ontario lawyer, later discovered to be fictitious, and that her grandson was involved in a car accident. She was then advised to send $8,400 to assist with vehicle repairs and court costs.
The woman, being alert enough to recognize the scam, continued to play along to obtain additional details, which she then forwarded onto Kingston Police. During the subsequent investigation by Fraud Unit detectives it was determined the address given by the suspect to send the money was a vacant Kingston residence listed for sale. A “dummy package” was sent to the address without any money contained in it.
A 32-year-old Kingston female was seen on the vacant property and later discovered to have the delivered package in her possession when arrested in the city on May 7. She was charged with one count of Fraud Over $5,000 and was later released on a recognizance with conditions until her next court date.
It was determined the female accused was simply the interceptor of the package and that police had grounds to believe the main perpetrator and organizer behind these scams was 32-year-old Jackson Benjamin ROY of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, located just west of Montreal. On May 20 ROY was arrested and charged in Kingston with one count of Fraud Over $5,000.
The investigation is continuing. Kingston Police Fraud detectives believe there to be additional victims and are anticipating further charges. Calls to other elderly victims are believed to have occurred in Illinois, New Jersey, California and potentially elsewhere within the United States and Canada.