Canadian Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Burlington for 'Grandparent Scam' Targeting Elderly Americans
On October 6, Canadian national Paul Conneh was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison in Burlington, Vermont, for his role in a 'grandparent scam' targeting elderly Americans, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced. Conneh was a member of a transnational fraud ring, serving as a money collector who retrieved and laundered victims' cash inside the United States.
In the so-called grandparent scam, fraudsters call victims posing as a grandchild or relative, claiming to have been in a car accident, arrested, or stranded abroad and urgently needing money, then trick seniors into mailing cash or buying gift cards. According to prosecutors, the ring operated call centers in Canada to place the scam calls, while Conneh and others acted as 'runners' in the U.S., picking up cash packages mailed by victims.
The investigation showed the ring operated across Vermont and neighboring states, with victims mostly seniors over 70 living alone; individual losses ranged from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors said the scheme cruelly exploited elderly victims' love for their families.
In addition to prison time, the judge ordered Conneh to pay restitution and serve a term of supervised release after his sentence. Justice Department officials reminded the public: when receiving an urgent call claiming to be from a relative, hang up and call back on a known number to verify — never mail cash directly.
(Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont)
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于佛蒙特州伯灵顿的联邦大楼（联邦法院所在地）。摄影：Farragutful，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
