www.carstaroakville.com547 Trafalgar Rd.905-845-7579www.dentistoakville.com2212 Wyecroft Rd.905-842-6030905-847-2595HALTONTRANSMISSIONwww.brantfl orist.com/ob905.639.7001559 SPEERS ROAD, UNIT #3 ONTTravelSNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010ARIO(S TOP NEWSPAPER - 2005-2008Beaver Trails905)842-0725A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 49 No. 24USING24 Pages $1.00(plus tax) COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIESTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011We won!Police bust'Emergency Scam' ring By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFSeven people, including two Oakville residents, are accused by police of running a telephone fraud ring that bilked millions of dollars from unsuspecting seniors.At a press conferenceThe Emergency Scam tar-Wednesday, Halton Regionalgets seniors, one of our most Police said the suspects werevulnerable populations, andarrested following raids at Oakvillecruelly plays upon their and Mississauga homes over theholiday weekend.emotions to bilk them out of The raids culminated a four-thousands of dollars.month-long investigation calledProject Viper.Halton Regional Police ChiefPolice said the organizationGary Crowellhad been targeting seniors acrossNorth America using a techniqueA second person will then talk commonly referred to as theto the victim claiming to be a law-Emergency Scam or Grandsonyer or police officer and give the Scam.victim instructions on how much Investigators believe the well-money to send and where the scripted scam has bilked millionsmoney should be sent.of dollars from unsuspectingThe person pretending to be seniors from as far away as Florida,the grandchild also pleads with Texas and North Dakota.the victim not to tell anyone else In this scam, the fraudster callsin the family about what happened the senior pretending to be theirfearing they will get in trouble grandchild and bilks the seniorERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVERwith other family members.out of a substantial amount of The senior is convinced to send money by convincing the seniorTIGER TALE: Jordan Taylor of the T.A. Blakelock Tigers (left) jumps into the arms of teammate Malik Ibrahim afterthe money in a way that cannot be they are in jail and need to bethe Tigers won the Halton junior boys' basketball Tier 2 championship Tuesday at Sheridan College. Oakville teams werebaSee Well page 4iled out.victorious in all four Halton finals contested on Tuesday.See Sports for full coverage.