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A fourth victim of an Edmonton man who travelled to Manitoba from Alberta and allegedly defrauded seniors of more than $50,000 has been identified, police say.<\/p>\n
The man, 29, is now accused of defrauding four people in their 80s by pretending to be a grandson in distress, police said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Between August 17 and 18, police say, the fourth senior received phone calls from someone posing as their grandson who claimed he had been arrested and needed bail money.<\/p>\n
The senior agreed to pay, and the caller went to their home several times to pick up money, credit cards and jewellery worth a total of $14,000, police allege.<\/p>\n
On Monday, police arrested the man at the Remand Centre and charged him with fraud over $5,000 and the unauthorized use of a credit card.<\/p>\n
The man had been charged previously with fraud over $5,000, two counts of fraud under $5,000, and one count each of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl.<\/p>\n
Those charges stem from scam calls made between Aug. 17-22 in which three seniors were targeted with a similar story about their grandson needing bail money before the caller came to retrieve valuables worth a total $37,000, police said previously.<\/p>\n
The suspect remains in custody.<\/p>\n
Following his arrest, he was also charged with sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and sexual interference after investigators determined the man had brought a teenage girl with him to Winnipeg, police said.<\/p>\n
The girl was returned home, police said.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg police encourage people who believe they’ve been scammed to report it online.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n