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An Edmonton man who allegedly travelled to Manitoba from Alberta and defrauded three seniors of $37,000 is also accused of transporting a teenage girl into the province and sexually assaulting her.
The 29-year-old is accused of defrauding three people in the 80s by pretending to be their grandson, Winnipeg police said in a Tuesday news release.
One of the victims of the scam received calls between Aug. 17-22 from someone posing as their grandson, who claimed he had been arrested and needed bail money.
The man then went to the home of that person four times to pick up cash the victim agreed to pay, as well as gold and silver coins.
A second victim received a similar call on Aug. 18. That person, too, agreed to pay and the man visited the victim to pick up money.
Between Aug. 20-21, a third person got calls from someone pretending to be their grandson. The man came to that person’s home twice to collect, police said.
It was that third victim who called police after checking with their family members and learning it was a scam.
Investigators soon after located the 29-year-old man in a vehicle, and a search found evidence linked to all three victims, police said.
After an investigation by the financial crimes and major crimes units, the Edmonton man was charged with fraud over $5,000, two counts of fraud under $5,000, and one count each of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Following his arrest, investigators determined the man had brought a teenage girl with him from Edmonton to Winnipeg, police said.
The girl told investigators she and the man were staying at a short-term rental in Winnipeg, where she was sexually assaulted. She didn’t have a way home on her own, she told police.
The Winnipeg police sex crimes unit subsequently charged the 29-year-old man with sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and sexual interference.
The girl was returned home, police say. The man remains in custody.
Winnipeg police encourage people who believe they’ve been scammed to report it online.
They advise anyone who believes they or a loved one might be a victim of a grandparent or emergency scam in particular to contact the financial crimes unit at 204-986-6231.
If you suspect a call may be fishy, police advise you to hang up and report it.