A fraud artist living in Laval who was facing more than 30 charges in Atlantic Canada after taking part in a scheme to cheat senior citizens while posing as a policeman, a lawyer and a bail bondsman has been sentenced to 15 months of house arrest, while also being ordered to pay back $57,000 to victims.
Omar Zanfi, 28, was arrested in Moncton NB in December 2022 when it was alleged he defrauded 15 seniors in Nova Scotia using the “grandparent scam.”
According to the Halifax regional police, Zanfi contacted victims by phone while pretending to speak on behalf of a member of the victim’s family, saying he had been arrested and needed money to post bail.
While working with an accomplice, Zanfi went to victims’ homes to pick up large sums of money defrauded from them.
However, without his realizing it, images of Zanfi and of the vehicle he was driving were recorded by the home video security system.
Using the images, the police were able to track and locate Zanfi, leading to his arrest.
Based on the terms of a sentence imposed by a Nova Scotia Provincial Court judge last month, Zanfi will be subject to an overnight curfew for the first nine months of his 15-month sentence.
As well, he will only be allowed out of his home for scheduled work or to deal with a medical emergency.
In addition, the court gave Zanfi permission not to be obliged to remain in Nova Scotia during his sentence.
According to news reports in New Brunswick, Zanfi pleaded guilty to fraud charges in that province and is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
