'I was so stupid': Victims of grandparent scam in court to see fraudster sent to prison

A Calgary man who stole at least $127,000 from elderly victims in a "grandparent scam" pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud on Friday.

Jason Dear, 40, admitted that over a three-month period in 2022, he collected between $6,000 and $27,000 from 10 seniors

The victims ranged in age from 74 to 94.

One victim told the court that Dear got her name and her grandson's name from her husband's obituary.

Several of Dear's victims were in court Friday afternoon. 

'I was so stupid'

One woman, who was in a wheelchair, told Justice Susan Pepper that she gave Dear $19,000.

That was the entirety of her savings, earmarked for her two grandsons. 

"It just made me sick to think I was so stupid to be caught in this scam because I know better," said Shirley. "But it was just so real."

CBC News is using only the first names of the victims in order to protect them from further victimization. 

In each case, the targeted senior received a call from a man pretending to be a loved one — most often a grandson — or a police officer who had arrested the grandson.

Woman with dementia targeted

The senior was then told the grandson, whose name was always accurate, needed money to post bail. 

In one case, Dear targeted an 85-year-old woman with dementia named Irene.

Irene was told her grandson had been arrested. She took the cash out from her bank, 

Following instructions, Irene placed the money in an envelope that was picked up by Dear. 

When successful, Dear contacted some of his victims a second and third time, asking for more and more money.

One 89-year-old woman named Anne gave Dear $20,000, but employees at her bank intervened when she tried to withdraw $45,000.

'Embarrassed and ashamed'

The crimes took place between Feb. 15 and April 26, 2022, with Dear stealing from up to three victims on the same day.

Jean, who handed over $10,000 to Dear, wrote that she was "incredibly embarrassed and ashamed" to have fallen victim to the scam. 

Dear's oldest victim is a 94-year-old named George who handed over $12,000, believing his grandson had been arrested after he was found in a vehicle with drugs. George believed he was helping secure his grandson's release from jail.

Although he did not admit to making the phone calls, Dear pleaded guilty for his role as the "courier."

'A strong message'

Prosecutor Gregory Whiteside called Dear's crimes "reprehensible and predatory," targeting "some of our most vulnerable individuals."

Justice Pepper asked defence lawyer Dean Zuk why his client committed his crimes.

"You've heard that he has a family and choices were made to support that family and those choices were wrong," said Zuk.

"I'll leave it there."

Whiteside and Zuk proposed a three-year, four-month sentence, which was accepted by Justice Pepper. With credit for the time he's already served, Dear has just over three years left behind bars.

"There needs to be a strong message: if you commit a crime of this kind, you will go to jail for a significant amount of time," said Pepper.