Consumer Fraud
CRA Scams: An Organized Operation In Mumbai Is To Blame For One Of The Biggest Scams In Canada’s History
Sept. 24, 2018 (Courtesy of Narcity.com) - Our cell phones go off daily with calls from telemarketers and scammers. How many times have you "won a free cruise" or been asked to buy products over the phone? Too many to count, right? We're sick of it. Thanks...
‘Nowhere to live and nowhere to go’: MUN student from Ontario hit by rental scam
Sept. 10 ,2018 (Courtesy of CBC.ca ) - Imagine moving to Newfoundland from another province to study at Memorial University, only to discover upon your arrival that the people at your new rental property have no idea who you are, or what you're talking about. That's...
Treadz Auto owner pleads guilty to $2M vehicle consignment fraud
Sept 7, 2018 ( Courtesy of CBC.ca ) - A Calgary man who bilked dozens of Calgary car owners out of more than $2 million has pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000. Sean O'Brien was facing 164 fraud and theft charges in connection to his vehicle consignment...
Father, son, daughter sentenced in $12.5M lotto fraud case
Sept. 5, 2018 (Courtesy of CTVnews.ca ) - Three family members who won nearly $12.5 million on a free lottery ticket they had duped a customer at their variety store out of were sentenced Tuesday. Jun-Chul Chung was sentenced to seven years in prison. His daughter,...
Savvy Calgary senior outsmarts scammers in sophisticated phone scheme
Sept 4, 2018 (Courtesy of CBC.ca ) - A Calgary grandmother outsmarted would-be phone scammers and is now warning others to be cautious of the sophisticated scheme. Anne Buckley was at home on Saturday when she got an unexpected call to her landline. "It was a very...
Reports of CRA extortion scam on the rise
Aug. 30, 2018 (Courtesy of Citynews.ca) - Stores including pharmacy chain Rexall have started posting warnings about scams involving gift cards as reports about the fraud continue to mount. Fraudsters pretending to be the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have been calling...
A 90-year-old ‘grandma scam’ victim took out $10,000 from TD Bank to pay a fraudster — in cash
Aug. 29, 2018 (Courtesy of thestar.ca) - At 90 years old, Elizabeth Mary Mahoney is active and resourceful. Knee replacements haven’t slowed her down. She lives alone in her rented Toronto condo near High Park, takes long walks, rides the TTC and attends an...
Albertans Losing Record Amounts to Scam Artists
Aug. 28, 2018 ( Courtesy of discoverairdrie.com) - Albertans are being scammed out of record amounts of money by what a member of the Better Business Bureau calls "knowledgeable and sophisticated" scammers. Jennifer-Kay Thomas, External Communications Specialist with...
Man faces charges for making and selling fake transit passes in Calgary
Aug 3, 2018 ( Courtesy of CTVnews.ca ) - Calgary police have charged a man after a lengthy investigation led to the discovery of more than $1 million in fake transit passes. The year-long investigation involved nine search warrants and eventually led to arrest of a...
Don’t fall for ‘gifting cloud’ pyramid schemes, warn Drumheller RCMP
July 19,2018 (Courtesy of CBC.ca) - Drumheller RCMP have issued a warning following what they say is an increase in invitations to participate in "gifting cloud" pyramid schemes in the southern Alberta town. The events, also known as "pay-it-forward clouds" or...
Real police say fake Mounties weren’t actually involved in scam of B.C. woman
June 25, 2018 (Courtesy of the Canadian Press) -Vancouver police say a woman who claimed to have been arrested by fake police officers in a fraud scheme exaggerated her report. Police now say that the woman was never physically approached by people claiming to be...
Scam calls target Chinese community, fraud busters warn
June 21, 2018 Courtesy of Ottawacitizen.com) - The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has issued a bulletin warning that people in Canada are being targeted with calls claiming to come from the Beijing police, Interpol, the Chinese embassy or a delivery firm with a suspicious...
Court docs claim vehicle fraud involving more than 100 vehicles
May 17, 2018 (courtesy of CTV.ca) - An Edmonton car dealership has taken legal action against an Edmonton man, and a number of companies he is involved with, after more than 33 vehicles were taken from the dealership’s lot earlier this year. A Statement of Claim...
Fraudsters ‘spoof’ RCMP’s phone number in tax scam
May 16, 2018 (Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen ) - The RCMP isn’t making calls claiming taxpayers owe big and will be under arrest if they don’t pay up via money transfer, the force is warning. It’s a scam and the calls, in which fraudsters impersonate police officers,...
Solar panel business owner changes pleas to guilty in fraud case
May 15, 2018 (courtesy of CBC.ca) - A Dartmouth businessman has changed his plea to guilty on two counts of fraud in a case in which several customers claim they lost thousands of dollars when they paid for solar panels that were never delivered. Barry...
Canadian fraud victims could get some of $586M US Western Union settlement
U.S. ruling found company failed to properly protect customers against fraudsters May 2, 2018 (Courtesy of CBC.ca) - Police departments across Canada are informing fraud victims who sent funds through Western Union that they may be eligible to get some of their money...
Winnipeg funeral home operator charged with forgery and fraud
May 1 2018 (courtesy of globalnews.ca) -A former funeral home operator has been charged with two dozen counts of forgery and fraud. Winnipeg Police have accused Mike Knysh of stealing $35,000 from Manitobans who purchased pre-paid funeral plans from Knysh Funeral...
Ecuadorians Challenge Chevron Over $9.5B Award In Canadian Court
April 17, 2018 (Courtesy of oilprice.com) - Ecuadorian farmers and indigenous people will seek to show an Ontario Court of Appeal this week that Chevron Canada is legally liable for a US$9.5-billion award that the Ecuadorians won against the U.S. parent Chevron Corp...
Be wary when donating online after tragedies, says Better Business Bureau
April 12, 2018 (Courtesy of CBC.ca)As Canadians continue what's been described as an unprecedented outpouring of financial support in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, the Better Business Bureau is cautioning people to be cautious when donating money online....
Former funeral home director accused of defrauding victims of nearly $400K: OPP
April 9, 2018 (courtesy of The Canadian Press) - A former funeral home director is facing a number of charges after allegedly defrauding the families of people who had pre-paid for their arrangements. Provincial Police Sgt. Peter Leon says the investigation centred on...
Bitcoin-based tax fraud ramping up in Canada, expert says
March 28, 2018 (Courtesy of itworld.com) - Fraud campaigns during tax season are nothing new, but according to the VP and country manager for Symantec Canada, it’s at an “all-time peak” in Canada, and fraudsters have fallen in love with a new tool: Bitcoin. “We’re...