Police have released images of a suspect wanted in connection with a scam that has targeted several grandparents in the Durham region.
The latest incident was reported last week when a man contacted a 77-year-old Pickering woman and allegedly pretended to be her grandson.
Police said the suspect told the woman he was in jail.
During the call, the suspect allegedly put another male on the phone who claimed to be a court representative.
Police said the male told the woman that he needed $9,000 to get bail for her ‘grandson.’
The victim then went to the bank, withdrew the money and met the suspect to make the payment, police said.
In a news release issued Friday, police described the suspect as South Asian, between the ages of 20 and 30, with a medium build, brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing all black clothing and an Adidas face mask.
Police said they have received five reports within the last three weeks of what they are calling a ‘grandparent scam.’
In another incident in Ajax, a victim was defrauded of $27,000 in connection to the scam.
It is not known if the same suspect is involved in other incidents.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Det. McKinnon of the West Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2529 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
