An arrest has been made in relation to a grandparent scam investigation in the Battlefords area that began in January of this year.

According to a Saskatchewan RCMP news release, 53-year-old Eric Tiegen of Lashburn was arrested in late April and charged with one count of fraud over five thousand dollars and two counts of identity fraud. Tiegen appeared in North Battleford Provincial Court back on Monday with his next scheduled appearance on June 8th.

The scam primarily targeted elderly people with phone calls telling them there was an emergent situation with a loved one – often a grandchild. The situations described were either that the victim’s grandchild was involved in a collision and would be jailed unless the victim paid them a set amount of money or the victims were told their grandchild was already in jail and a sum of money needed to be paid for their bail.

The caller would then make arrangements to meet in person with the victim to collect the cash. Saskatchewan RCMP’s North Battleford General Investigation Section thanks the public for reporting information, noting that community assistance played a key role in advancing the investigation.