Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect after a Minden Hills man was defrauded of $9,000 in the grandparent scam.
Last Thursday (July 14), the victim received a call from a man falsely identifying himself as a police officer, who claimed the victim’s granddaughter had been arrested for drug-related offences and was subsequently going to be held for a bail hearing.
The fraudster told the victim that a payment of $9,000 was required for the granddaughter’s release, and warned the victim not to speak to his granddaughter’s parents or anyone else, including law enforcement, as the transaction would not take place if that were the case. A woman also spoke to the victim over the phone pretending to be the victim’s granddaughter.
Arrangements were made for the payment and a woman came to the victim’s home the following day to collect the money. Police are also reminding members that police officers would never attend a residence to obtain bail money.
Investigators with the Haliburton Highlands Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the woman and her vehicle.
The woman is described as being between 18 and 23 years of age, white, approximately 5’5″ tall with a slim build (100-110 lbs), with brown eyes and brown hair in a bun, and wearing dark pants and dark zip-up coat.
The female suspect has a red and black tattoo on the left side of her neck, one inch from her ear, which runs down her neck toward her collarbone. The vehicle is described as a silver-coloured 2013 to 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 705-286-1431. If you prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.khcrimestoppers.com.
