Police allege that the husband and wife duo behind the moving company Green Moving and Storage based in Scarborough, deliberately exaggerated load weights after they picked up customers’ belongings in order to increase the moving costs. Det. Alan Spratt with the Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit told CTV Toronto that the main focus of the investigation will be on determining whether fraud occurred.
Due to dozens of customer complaints, the company is facing a litany of fraud charges stemming from this alleged scheme.
After CTV news ran a story about the company six months ago, customers began filing complaints to Toronto police. The moving company also went by the names Landmark Van Lines and Ryder Moving.
As part of an operation called “Project Haul,” police conducted two searches of Green Moving and Storage after the initial complaints.
Perry Thorne, the chairman of the Canadian Association of Movers, said the company facing fraud allegations has received an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing marketplace trust. He said the moving industry can be frustrating because it isn’t regulated and companies don’t need a license to operate.
A police spokesman stated it can be incredibly difficult to monitor these companies due to the lack of regulations.
Rahime Vatansever, 45, and her husband Mesut Vatansever, 46, were both arrested on Tuesday after the RCMP and Toronto police executed search warrants at a warehouse. They are each facing single charges of fraud over $5,000 and possession of the proceeds of crime. Their daughter was also taken into custody
As of today, none of these charges have been tested in court.
Read the full story over at CTV news.
