A 20-year-old man and 16-year-old girl – both from Guelph, Ont., – face charges of fraud in connection to a series of grandparent scams.
In one case, police say an 80-year-old Guelph woman received a call from someone claiming to be her grandson.
The caller reportedly said he had been arrested and caught with a large amount of marijuana and needed $10,000 for bail.
Police say arrangements were made for a supposed law enforcement representative to attend the victim’s residence to collect the cash, which happened later that day.
In the second case, an elderly couple received a call indicating their son had been arrested and required money for bail.
Police say that couple was visited three times by a female suspect to whom they handed over $26,000 in total before realizing they were victims of fraud.
The Guelph Police Service Fraud Unit worked with police services in other jurisdictions to identify the suspects.
The pair is believed to be also connected to a similar case in Waterloo Region.