Man, 25, charged following scam targeting seniors in Halifax

A shoulder patch on the uniform of a Halifax Regional Police officer is seen in Halifax on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

A 25-year-old man has been charged in relation to a scam targeting seniors in Halifax.

Halifax Regional Police (HRP) responded to five incidents of scams intended to defraud seniors of their money between May and June 2025.

Police say each incident involved a call from someone pretending to be a family member saying they needed bail money. The seniors were then instructed by someone posing as a person of authority on how the money would be collected.

On Nov. 7, Tarun Verma was arrested and charged with:

• four counts of fraud under $5,000
• fraud over $5,000
• four counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
• possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000

Verma appeared in a Halifax provincial court on Nov. 10 to face the charges.

HRP says the investigation is ongoing.

“Police encourage people to be suspicious of emails or calls asking for money. Scammers can spoof phone numbers and make it appear as though they’re calling from a trusted source,” a police release reads.

Police remind residents not to give personal information to anyone by email, telephone or in person if they are uncertain of the individual’s legitimacy.

Anyone who has been a victim of fraud can report it by contacting HRP at 902-490-5020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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