Alleged 'grandparent scam' network busted by police

Almost two dozen people are facing criminal charges after police officers from several forces in the province conducted raids to crack down on an alleged telephone fraud scam.

"This is one of the largest raids conducted to date in the country for this type of scam," said a statement issued by Montreal police on Thursday evening.

Police say the alleged fraud was a "grandparent scam," which is when a victimgetsa call or email from a supposed grandchild who is in some kind of trouble and needs money to be wired to them in a hurry.

• Quebec police operation targets alleged 'grandparent scam' network
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Police said there weremore than 500 alleged victims.Most of them, 350, were Montrealers. The others were from Laval, Longueuil as well asother parts of Canada.

The policeraids took place on Wednesday May 25, and involved the Montreal, Laval and Longueuil police departments as well as the Sret du Quebec.

Police searched 10 homes. They seized computers, bank documents, fake ID cards and cell phones.

During the raids, officers made 23 arrests most of them in the Montreal borough of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Those arrested include:

• Patrick Dinucci, 31, the alleged leader who was arrested in Italy
• Victor Doron, 46
• Andr Westerhout, 31
• Martin Renaud, 51
• Antonio Dinucci, 60
• Poya Shan Moradi, 22

All those arrested face conspiracy and fraud-related charges.

Prevention tips

Police are offering the following tips to help prevent people from falling victim to phone scams:

• Keep your guard up, even if the person on the other end of the line seems credible and is insistent.
• If the person asks you, 'Do you recognize me?' say no.
• Ask personal questions that only your real family members would know the answer to (Ex. The name of a relative, or a family memory).
• Ask the person on the line for a number where you can reach him/her.
• Don't hesitate to hang up.
• Never wire money immediately following a phone call.
• Remember that you can always say no even to a loved one.
• File a complaint with police(Info-Crime Montreal: 514-393-1133 or Canada's Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501)