2 more Mississauga residents charged in grandparent scams

Two more Mississauga residents face charges in connection to a grandparent scam, this time in Peterborough.

Just days after a Mississauga man was charged after an elderly woman in Vaughan was defrauded of over $57,000, two more people have been charged.

The OPP say a grandparent scam typically involves a phone call to an elderly person from a scammer who claims to be their grandchild, a lawyer, or a police officer, representing their grandchild. They then make the victim believe their grandchild has been arrested and needs help, in the form of bail money, otherwise they will go directly to jail.

Another incident was reported to the OPP in January.

A Peterborough resident contacted the OPP on Jan. 24 after they lost $8,000 through the grandparent scam, OPP said in a press release.

Then, on Jan. 26, scammers attempted to defraud the victim again of another $9,500.

On Jan. 27, police searched a residence in Mississauga.

Two people face charges.

David Zyla, 21, from Mississauga was charged with fraud over $5,000. Zyla was released and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on April 25.

On Feb. 1, OPP charged Jenna Mohammed, 20, from Mississauga, with fraud over $5,000.

Mohammed was released and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on March 8.

OPP offers these tips to avoid the grandparent scam:

• Do not provide your home address
• Do not provide any banking or personal information
• Ask for a number to call them back
• Ask for the address of the courthouse or police station they are being held at
• Phone your local police service and report the incident immediately

If you know a grandparent, please reach out to them, and have a conversation on what to do if they get a phone call like this.

TWO ARRESTS MADE IN "GRANDPARENT SCAM".
The #PtboOPP and #NthldOPP Community Street Crime Unit have made two arrests with respect to the "grandparent" scam that has been targeting individuals in Central Region, including @Nthld_County @PtboCounty and @kawarthalakes ^rs pic.twitter.com/mFEFGjgzil

— OPP Central Region (@OPP_CR) February 1, 2023