Fake bail bondsman arrives at Halifax-area home as part of scheme targeting seniors
Fake bail bondsman arrives at Halifax-area home as part of scheme targeting seniors
The "bail bondsman" the RCMP says is part of a scheme targeting seniors. (Source: RCMP)
Police in the Halifax area are trying to identify a fake bail bondsman who is allegedly part of a plot to steal money from seniors.
As part of the scheme, people are called by a fraudster pretending to be a relative who says they’ve been arrested and need bail money.
According to the RCMP, the call is normally then taken over by a person pretending to be a lawyer or police officer, who tells the person to give the money.
A fake bail bondsman is then sent to the person’s home to collect the cash.
Over the last few days, police say several people have been swindled out of between $5,000 to $10,000.
The force is releasing images of the “bail bondsman” and the car he drove, which might be a 2019 Toyota Corolla.
The vehicle RCMP says was used as part of the scheme. (Source: RCMP)
Police say authorities in Canada don’t solicit the release of someone for money and don’t go door-to-door looking for cash.
They say the following tips should be kept in mind to avoid being scammed:
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 telephone numbers 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.
The RCMP says anyone who thinks they could be a victim, knows someone who could be a victim, or has information on these incidents, is asked to contact police at 902-490-5020. The scams can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee are recommending that hybrid Parliament and the electronic voting system become permanent features of the House of Commons.
Quebec RCMP say they rescued a man over the weekend who became lost in the woods in heavy snow while trying to cross the border into the United States.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
New guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular, advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
The Farmers' Almanac just revealed its spring 2023 forecast and Ontario, along with much of the rest of Canada, is expected to see a “turbulent transition to warmth,” the agency predicts.
A Toronto passenger said her Sunwing Airlines flight was unforgettable as she recounted the moments after the pilot shut down the plane’s engine mid-flight to Montego Bay on Friday.
The University of Lethbridge, following a great deal of push back from students and members of the public, says it will not provide space for a planned lecture from a controversial guest speaker.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
The Quebec college of physicians revealed Monday that there are 210 more active physicians in the province than last year. The data comes from the "Statistics on the medical workforce in Quebec," as of Dec. 31, 2022. It states that 25,585 doctors were registered with the order, compared to 25,176 on the same date in 2021.
The Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland has been shut down, West Edmonton Mall announced on Monday. The redevelopment of the area is already underway, and the roller coaster is being decommissioned and removed.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police say he caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to an Edmonton Transit Bus and threatened a female passenger, acts that drew condemnation from Alberta's premier.
A family in the remote community of Peawanuck, Ont., is dealing not only with the death of their young daughter, but the loss of everything they owned in a Jan. 28 house fire.
Two people discovered asleep in a vehicle in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 30 were found with weapons and more than $175,000 in illegal drugs, Sault police said Monday.
A person has been charged following the death of a pedestrian in a crash last week. As previously reported by CTV News, a pedestrian was struck by a car near Hamilton Road and Watmar Avenue on Jan. 24.
Police in St. Thomas, Ont. are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect who they allege participated in a violent home invasion over the weekend.
Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived -- straightforward. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84. Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks before a jump to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, a move that led to lawsuits but ultimately higher salaries for hockey players.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson promoted four backbenchers from suburban Winnipeg areas to her inner circle Monday in a cabinet shuffle eight months out from an election.
A report into the impact of the "Freedom Convoy" occupation on residents of Ottawa has accused all three levels of government of failing to uphold the human rights of people who live and work in downtown Ottawa.
One of the five cyclists injured by a driver in Kanata in 2009, known as the "Kanata Five", is launching a charity to raise awareness about the effects of Acquired Brain Injury.
Ontario Provincial Police have formally identified a woman who was found dead in Eganville last week as the mother of an 18-year-old man accused of murder.
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
An investigation into a frightening incident where a Tesla suddenly caught fire in North Vancouver—briefly trapping the driver inside—has ruled out the car's battery as the cause, according to Transport Canada.
A Vancouver police sergeant who says he was Const. Nicole Chan's friend and mentor has told a coroner's inquest that Chan believed she would never return to work because human resource officers went to the hospital when she was apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
The Maidstone RCMP are looking for a suspect following the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the dressing room at the Lashburn Sportsplex on Sunday afternoon.
Mounties are asking the public for help finding a 30-year-old woman missing in Nanaimo, B.C. Police say Samantha Evans has not been heard from since Jan. 11. Her family contacted the Nanaimo RCMP one week later and a missing person's investigation was launched on Jan. 18.
The "bail bondsman" the RCMP says is part of a scheme targeting seniors. (Source: RCMP)
The vehicle RCMP says was used as part of the scheme. (Source: RCMP) 
