U.S. authorities charge 25 Canadians in alleged scam that defrauded elderly Americans

News Snapshot:

U.S. authorities have charged 25 Canadians in connection with a so-called grandparent scam operated out of Montreal-area call centres that allegedly defrauded elderly Americans out of more than US$21-million. Armed with spreadsheets containing personal information of potential victims, the suspects placed calls to elderly Americans, pretending to be their grandchildren or other relatives, according to a U.S. indictment unsealed Tuesday. The scams, which took place between the summer of 2021 and early June, 2024, involved convincing the victims that a grandchild or other relative had been arrested and needed money for bail. The call would then be passed off to...