An RCMP cruiser can be seen in this file photo. Image: Staff photo
An arrest has been made related to a series of scams on seniors in the Halifax area.
Twenty-four year-old Omar Zanfi was arrested yesterday in Moncton and is facing the following charges:
- Fraud over $5,000 (x 4)
- Fraud under $5,000 (x 2)
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 (x 4)
- Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 (x 2)
- Participating in a criminal organization
Between November 29 and December second, police received multiple reports of fraudsters contacting seniors pretending to be police or a lawyer saying a relative had been arrested and needed bail money.
A fake bail bondsman was then sent to the victim’s address to collect the cash.
Victims had been scammed out of between 5,000 and 10,000 dollars.
Zanfi was brought back to Nova Scotia and appeared in Halifax provincial court today.
He was arrested by the Financial Crime Unit of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from members of the Codiac Regional RCMP.
During the investigation the RCMP released the following tips to avoid being defrauded:
- Fraudsters create a sense of urgency – slow things down reach out to other relatives and review the situation together, contact authorities if need be.
- If you still believe the caller then contact the authority represented through their legitimate contact source eg. website or phonebook that you have located and not provided to you by the contactor.
- Attempt to contact the family member in question.
- Do not send money, gift cards, Bitcoin or anything else of value in “urgent situations”.
- Don’t drop your guard because the number on your caller ID looks familiar or legitimate. Scammers can spoof tel #’s and make it appear they are calling from a trusted source.
- If you have a feeling that something is not right, it is best to trust your gut and stop communicating with that person. If in doubt, hang up or delete and do not continue communication.
They say authorities in Canada do not solicit a release for cash or come to your door for cash.
