continued from p.4 Seniors targeted in Canada and U.S., police allege the senior pretending to be their grandchild and bilks them out of a substantial amount of money by convincing them they are in jail and need to be bailed out. A second person will then talk to the victim claiming to be a lawyer or police officer and give the victim instructions on how much money to send and where the money should be sent. The person pretending to be the grandchild also pleads with the victim not to tell anyone else in the family. The senior is convinced to send the money in a way that cannot be traced. By the time they find out they weren't actually talking to their grandchild, the money is gone. Police allege the accused targeted hundreds of seniors in Canada and the United States every day, bilking victims out of $2,000 to $6,000 each, for a total of $3 million over four months. Investigators say victims were found through obituaries and social media accounts. The operation was also run out of two Halton homes, police say. Halton Police Supt. Chris Perkins said at the time, there were potentially thousands of victims with the organization mostly targeting seniors in the U.S. as far north as Maine and North Dakota and as far south as Texas and Florida. There were also Canadian victims, police said. "These are professionals," said Perkins. "These people go to work like you and I go to work. They are drawing this information out of the seniors and that's what makes this a particularly despicable type of crime." Perkins said the case was cracked when police recognized a "common denominator" between all the victims, who reported the scam to Halton police during the late summer of 2010. 5 | Friday, July 3, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A 92-year-old American man wrote to the judge and said he felt "rather stupid" and devastated about what happened. Others wrote to the judge to say they felt "embarrassed" and "vulnerable." One victim described the fraudsters over the phone as "smooth as silk." The more than 100 victims ranged in age from 50-95, but most were in their 70s and 80s, court heard. In this scam, court heard, the fraudster calls July 31st, 2015. ® Ultimate Drivers "Driver Training That Makes a Difference" SIGN UP ONLINE Program www.ultimatedrivers.ca Driver retraining Program For Reinstating Driver's License Defensive Driving Certificate Minimizes Road Test Time and Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount Minimizes Road Test Time, Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount and Teaches You Emergency Skills ON Our BeGINNer DrIVer eDuCATION PrOGrAm. Summer SPeCIAL $ SAVe 100 Complete refresher Program Prepares you for G2 or G License Helps Reviewing Your Driving Habits for Test Preparation and evaluation Warm Up Practice Before the Test Advance Defensive Driving Program refresher Program Winter Time Driving Helps overcome your Winter Time Driving Jitters 4 DAy CONDeNSeD COurSe llent Exce ices Serv ce Sin 1993 · July 11, 12, 13, 14 · Aug 4, 5, 6, 7 2 WEEKENDS July 11 & 12 July 18 & 19 2380 Wyecroft Road Unit #3 Oakville Gift Certificates Available We Are Licensed by MTO 905-825-1172 CREATE YOUR DREAM h t a B r o n e Kitch For our clients, their guests, and prospective clients Director of Oakville Galleries Lunch, Learn & Enjoy Matthew Hyland Presents What Am I Looking At?! Understanding Contemporary Art in Context Tuesday, July 7, 2015 12 pm · 1 pm 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE | QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP | CUSTOM DESIGNS Holiday Inn, 590 Argus Road, Oakville (Southwest of Trafalgar Road and the QEW) Call for a Free Estimate 905-844-3332 Visit our showroom: 333 Wyecroft Rd. Unit 3, Oakville www.aromakitchens.ca RSVP (905) 842-2100 Ext. 2 info@peterwatsoninvestments.com