Quebec man faces charges for scamming two grandmothers in Cornwall, Ontario, police say

A Quebec resident is facing charges in connection with two alleged grandparent scams in Cornwall, Ont. in the last two months.

On Friday, an 83-year-old man contacted police to say he received a call from someone claiming to be his nephew and demanding $3,000 in cash, according to Cornwall police.

Police say officers “successfully intercepted the suspect, who was later taken into police custody.”

A resident of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. faces charges of fraud over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense.

Police say their investigation revealed the suspect may have been involved in another local granny scam in March.

“It is alleged that on March 8 and 9 the man contacted a 73-year-old couple from Cornwall, claiming to be their son and demanding a certain amount of cash,” police said.

“Two meetings are alleged to have taken place, resulting in the couple being defrauded of $6,000.”

The suspect faces an additional charge of fraud over $5,000.

There has been an increase in granny scams in Cornwall, with 25 police investigations so far this year.

“This senior citizen trusted his instincts and did the right thing by contacting the police immediately,” State Sergeant Tracey Pilon said in a statement. “I would encourage the people of Cornwall to share this story with their parents and grandparents, so they can avoid being a victim themselves.”