A seniors scammer has been sentenced to six months in home prison after he was caught thanks to the vigilance of a nonagenarian who caught the scam halfway through, allowing police to track him down.
Last October, an elderly couple from Lachine thought they were receiving a call from “Caisses Desjardins,” as their display read. However, it was a scam.
A man who identified himself as an employee of the financial institution said that a fraudulent transaction had taken place in his bank account. The fraudster then told the 91-year-old that he needed to withdraw money from his bank account.
For this purpose, a car waited for him in front of his house and took him to his Desjardins branch in Lachine.
Sufian Romdhane, 31, was driving a Subaru Forester.
During the trip, the unknown fraudster continued his conversation with the victim over Romdhane's phone, explaining to him that he “needs to make a withdrawal of $3,800, but that he should not tell the bank teller the reason for the withdrawal because of the fraud.” “comes from a person who works in their establishment,” says the agreed statement of facts recently filed with the Montreal courthouse.
The elder, therefore convinced that it was a fraud, froze for fear of reprisals. However, as he exited the vehicle, he made sure to discreetly note the license plate number in his notebook.
The Caisse Desjardins de Lachine, where Sufian Romdhane drove the victim who was supposed to withdraw $3,800. Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montréal / Agence QMI
As he entered the financial institution, the elder mentioned to an employee that he was “the victim of a scam.” However, she didn't realize the urgency of the situation and asked him to wait for a manager, but he never showed up.
Meanwhile, the victim noticed the defendant watching her through the window. The nonagenarian eventually exited through a side door after seeing Romdhane leaving the parking lot.
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Thanks to the 91-year-old man's information, Montreal police were able to monitor Romdhane's vehicle.
The following week, police saw him with an accomplice, Cristian Guzman Cavagnaro, stopping his car in front of a building in the Anjou district. An older man then got into the vehicle.
The scheme used was the same, but this time the victim was asked to withdraw $5,000.
The eldest was taken by the two defendants to his credit union, Desjardins, on Jean-Talon Street. He then attempted to withdraw the money, although the clerk suggested he use a bank draft to avoid fraud.
However, in the meantime, a police officer arrived and informed him that he was the victim of a fraud, while colleagues arrested Romdhane and Guzman Cavagnaro.
Romdhane, who had no previous convictions, received a six-month sentence to be served at home.
Christian Guzman Cavagnaro was scheduled to be sentenced to six months in prison next March. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SPVM
Guzman Cavagnaro will receive his sentence next month. However, it was announced that he would be sentenced to six months in prison due to his past with firearms.
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