Montreal police arrest two suspects in connection with scam targeting Westmount seniors

Police at the poste de quarter 12 in Westmount arrested two suspects who they say scammed seniors out of several thousands of dollars.

Authorities say the suspects allegedly manipulated their victims by using a tactic called “grandparent scams.”

The scam operates by telephone, where the suspects pose as police officers, asking for large sums of money to cover the supposedly medical and legal costs of relatives in trouble.

The suspects or an accomplice then visited their victims on several occasions to collect the money requested in cash, police say.

Two of the targeted seniors went to the SPVM to report the incident. After taking their testimonies police implemented a surveillance operation. They caught the suspects while preparing to take more money from their victims.

The suspects appeared in court Feb. 14 on charges of extortion and fraud. They are currently being detained pending court proceedings.

An investigation is ongoing with the Section des crimes économiques at the SPVM to help determine if there are any other victims.

If you have been a victim of a scam, please go to your local PDQ or call 9-1-1.

You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8501 or directly visiting its website. Montréal residents can also contact Info Crime-Montréal on an anonymous and confidential basis at 514-393-1133 or infocrimemontreal.ca.

To find out more about how grandparent scams operate and get prevention advice, please visit the SPVM’s website.