City police charge two Ontario women in ’grandparent scams’

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This article was published 13/08/2022 (1172 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Suspects arrested in ‘grandparent scam’

Winnipeg police have arrested two Ontario women accused of running scams that fleeced nine elderly people of about $100,000.

In late July, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Jay Murray said the department had received a slew of reports about “grandparent scams.”

The fraud typically involves someone calling an elderly person and claiming to be a grandchild or niece or nephew who is in serious legal trouble and needs money immediately, before sending someone to collect it in person, Murray said July 28.

The next day, police said Friday, financial crimes investigators identified two suspects they believed to be involved, arresting them both at a home on the 1100 block of Somerville Avenue in Fort Garry.

Officers executed a search warrant on the home July 29, locating evidence linking the pair to the offences that had defrauded nine seniors of thousands over 10 days.

An 18-year-old from North York, Ont., is charged with six counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count each of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, possession of the proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000, forgery and use a forged document.

A 25-year-old woman of Walpole Island, Ont., is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, and one count each of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and possession of the proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

$4.1M for water plant in Beausejour

The Manitoba government is flowing $4.1 million to the Town of Beausejour to offset costs for a new water treatment facility in the community.

Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister Reg Helwer was in the eastern Manitoba town on Friday to announce the provincial contribution to the $12.3 million project.

“The Beausejour project consists of a construction of a new water treatment plant and reservoir to replace the current facility which reached its capacity and is at the end of its life,” Helwer said. The project also includes new raw water supply wells, a pump house and approximately three kilometres of raw water supply lines.

The project will also receive $4.9 million in funding from the federal government through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Town of Beausejour will spend $3.3 million.

The new water treatment plant is expected to open in 2023 and will support increased residential and commercial development opportunities for the town.

The province will fund three other water infrastructure projects in Oakview, St. Adolphe and Stonewall, in partnership with the federal government, Helwer said.

The two levels of government will spend over $3.6 million each to rebuild pump stations and gravity outfalls in St. Adolphe and to make riverbank stability improvements.

The Rapid City water distribution system in Oakview will also be upgraded and will see approximately 9,000 metres of water pipe replaced. The project will be cost shared between the three levels of government, with the province pitching in $2.1, Ottawa contributing $2.6 million and the municipality spending $1.7 million.

The Town of Stonewall will also receive $11.5 million from Ottawa and $9.5 million from the province for its Regional Water Supply Project.

The project increases access to reliable, quality water supply with reservoirs in Stonewall, Warren and Woodlands to be upgraded, according to a release. The municipality will spend $7.6 million on the project.

— staff