Police have made another arrest linked to a group that targeted victims across Canada.
On Oct. 9, members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) anti-racket unit and criminal investigation branch, arrested and charged Jahzion Holness-Edie, 24 years old of Waterloo, with the following Criminal Code offences:
- Criminal Organization - Participation, 476.11 (1)
- Criminal Organization - Commission of Offence for Criminal Organization, 467.12 (1)
- Fraud over $5000, 380 (1)
The accused has been released and is scheduled to appear in Ottawa Court of Justice on Nov. 6.
The most recent arrest comes after Project Sharp members, consisting of 11 Ontario and Quebec police services, announced the results of their 15-month-long investigation into individuals defrauding victims utilizing the 'emergency grandparent' scam in April.
The targets were seniors with a landline telephone, who believed they were speaking with an officer or a lawyer claiming to have the victim's grandchild or family member in custody. Bail money was requested for the family member's release.
In most instances, "money mules" (unsuspecting couriers) were used to collect large amounts of money from the victims. Victims felt emotional distress and fearful of the financial impact on their lives.
"Emergency grandparent scams not only cause significant financial loss, but also inflict emotional trauma on victims," said OPP detective inspector Sean Chatland in a news release.
"It is crucial we address these frauds together, as many of our loved ones are vulnerable. We urge everyone to talk to at-risk loved ones and encourage victims to report incidents to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre,"
Project Sharp is an OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB)-led joint forces operation, involving the support of the Sûreté Du Québec, Halton Regional Police Service, York Regional Police, Toronto Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal, Service de Police de Laval, and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario. Additional assistance was provided by United States Homeland Security Investigations, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of the emergency grandparent scam or any fraud is urged to contact their local police, the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca. You can also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. For resources on scams and fraud, visit antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
