Scammers have been preying on seniors with landline telephones, convincing them they are speaking with an officer or lawyer who claims to have a family member in custody. Recently, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrested Jahzion Holness-Edie, a 24-year-old from Waterloo, in connection with this fraudulent scheme.
On October 9, Holness-Edie was charged with several offenses under the Criminal Code, including participation in a criminal organization and fraud over $5,000. He has been released and is set to appear in Ottawa Court of Justice on November 6.
This arrest is part of Project Sharp, a collaborative effort involving 11 police services from Ontario and Quebec. The initiative follows a 15-month investigation into the “emergency grandparent” scam, which targets vulnerable seniors.
Victims are often led to believe that a family member needs bail money for their release. In many cases, “money mules”—unsuspecting couriers—are used to collect substantial sums from the victims, who experience significant emotional distress and fear regarding their finances.
“Emergency grandparent scams not only result in financial loss but also cause emotional trauma to victims,” said OPP Detective Inspector Sean Chatland. He stressed the importance of addressing these scams collectively and urged everyone to communicate with at-risk family members and report incidents to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Project Sharp is led by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and includes support from various agencies, such as Sûreté Du Québec, Toronto Police Service, and others. Additional assistance has been provided by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, FINTRAC, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.