L&A OPP make arrest in ‘grandparent scam’ case

Tori Stafford

After months of warnings about the rising prevalence of emotional extortion scams or ‘grandparent scams’ from both the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Kingston Police, officers with the Lennox and Addington (L&A) OPP have made an arrest in one such case.

‘Grandparent scams’ are a type of fraud where the victim is tricked into believing they’re being contacted by their own grandchild or someone who is with their grandchild. The fraudsters indicate that the grandchild is in need of money during an emergency situation in an attempt to secure funds from unsuspecting seniors. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko.

According to the L&A OPP, one person has been charged with “fraud offences” in relation to the so-called ‘grandparent scam,’ which aims to emotionally extort funds from unsuspecting seniors as fraudsters present themselves as the grandchildren of the victims they approach.

On Friday, Jun. 10, 2022, officers with the L&A OPP responded to a call regarding a “fraud in progress” at an address in Loyalist Township. Upon arrival, the suspect was still at the location, and was arrested immediately, the OPP said in a press release on Wednesday, Jun. 15, 2022.

As a result of the ensuing investigation, Maxime Chung, 46, of Laval, Que., has been charged with:

  • Fraud over $5,000
  • Theft over $5,000

The L&A OPP stated that the investigation remains ongoing. They are asking anyone with information on such scams, or those who may have been victimized by one, to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or online at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

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