DETROIT- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers working at the Fort Street Cargo Facility on April 26, 2016, examined a package sent via United Parcel Service (UPS) that contained $4000 in Canadian dollars hidden inside. The sender of the package almost fell victim to a senior citizen phone scam.
The package was manifested as a book with a low declared value originating from Oshawa, Ontario and destined for Kentucky. Research determined the address listed was not real and had links to fraudulent ID sales. CBP Officers working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) determined the person who shipped the package is a senior citizen and resident of a nursing home in Canada who was the victim of a phone scam by a criminal organization that preys on the elderly.
“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, said 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.”
The Canadian currency and book were seized by CBP for and turned over to HSI. The package with the money and book will be returned to the victim with the assistance of the RCMP.