Quebec man charged in U.S. court for alleged role in 'grandparent scam'

A person uses a cell phone in New Orleans, on Aug. 11, 2019. (AP-Jenny Kane/The Canadian Press)

BURLINGTON — A Quebec man charged with allegedly participating in a network that defrauded seniors in more than 40 U.S. states has appeared in Vermont district court.

U.S. officials say Jimmy Ylimaki, 36, was arrested in Nicaragua and sent to Vermont, where a judge on Tuesday ordered him detained pending trial.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Canadian authorities arrested 23 people in March 2025 for allegedly defrauding seniors in more than 40 states of over US$21 million, but Ylimaki was listed still at large.

He is charged with acting as a fake attorney in a “grandparent scam” — a telemarketing fraud that targets seniors.

The fraud involves a caller posing as a family member and claiming to be in legal trouble, after which a second person posing as an attorney for the family member seeks a large sum of money for bail.

Ylimaki has pleaded not guilty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.