More Winnipeg victims come forward in scam targeting seniors

(FILE)

A Quebec man accused in a scam targeting seniors is facing additional charges after more Manitoba victims came forward.

Winnipeg police say a 24-year-old man currently in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre was re-arrested on April 15 and charged with a slew of new fraud-related offences.

Police had previously charged the man in March in connection with a reported fraud.

According to officers, a person in their 80s got a call from someone pretending to be a justice official who said their relative was arrested and required money to avoid going to jail.

The senior agreed to pay and a man they did not know came to their home and picked up the money, police said.

They reported the incident after finding out the story wasn’t true and they’d been scammed.

After police publicized the incident to raise awareness and encourage other potential victims to come forward, six more Manitoba victims contacted police reporting similar incidents.

According to police, the victims are in their 70s and 80s and were all called by someone pretending to be their grandchildren, purporting to need bail money. Some of the seniors provided cash while one gave jewelry instead.

In all cases, a man the seniors did not know came to their homes to pick up the cash or jewelry. The victims later discovered the transaction to be fraudulent.

According to police, the 24-year-old man from Quebec faces six additional fraud-related charges in relation to these incidents.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Police reminded anyone who receives a call from a suspected scammer to hang up, verify that their claims are not true and report the incident to police.

Anyone who lost money in a scam should report it online to police.