Canada: Scammer Robber Preying on Elderly

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We remember his face. There was an earlier report about this scammer, and he is not yet caught. He targets elderly folks, befriends them, builds up their confidence, and then robbed them.

The woman was so delighted to get a visit to the seniors’ residence from her long-lost nephew that it seemed a small thing to loan him a little cash for car repairs. It was only later, after checking with relatives, that the senior realized she had been scammed out of thousands of dollars by a stranger who had preyed on her kindness.

An 11-member Toronto police task force is hunting for Richard Earl Rupert, 54, who police allege has left a trail of swindled seniors across Canada. Police say the victims, ranging in age from 78 to 95, were cheated out of their pension cheques by the seasoned con man.

… The latest scams happened in Toronto, where Dunlop says six seniors – including a 94-year-old man and a 93-year-old woman – were scammed in four separate incidents between September and November.

…  In one incident in Toronto in late November, police say a man told an 81-year-old woman that as a building manager, he could get her a discount on rent if she paid in advance.

He accompanied the woman to the bank, but she became suspicious when they returned to the building and he didn’t have a key to open the door.

Security video of the incident shows a man rifling through the woman’s purse, a struggle taking place, and then, before escaping with her wallet, the thief shoves her onto a bench.

According to police, Rupert uses many aliases, but usually uses the first name Richard.

He is described as white, 5-foot-5, 140 to160 pounds with a reddish complexion, hazel eyes, a receding hairline and short, dirty-blond and grey hair. He is known to hang out at bingo halls and usually pays cash for stays in motels and B&Bs.