U.S. customs officers in Detroit intercepted a parcel and ultimately saved a Canadian senior from becoming a victim of a fraudulent phone scam.
On April 26, a shipment with $4,000 Canadian hidden inside a book was passing through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That's when officers noticed it was heading to a fake address in Kentucky with links to fraudulent ID sales.
Officials in the U.S. worked with the RCMP to determine the victim in this case was a senior citizen living at a nursing home in Oshawa, Ontario.
They say he fell victim to a phone scam by a "criminal organization" that preys on the elderly, but luckily the money is being returned to its original owner.
“Every year, thousands of people lose money to telephone scams — from a few dollars to their life savings. Scammers will say anything to cheat people out of their money. Everyone’s a potential target," says David Beculheimer, acting port director. "This case illustrates how important partnerships between Canada and the United States are to border security and exemplifies CBP’s commitment to safeguard our communities from crime.”
