Police in Surrey, Vancouver, say a man they issued a warning about earlier this year has pleaded guilty to 15 fraud-related charges.

In April, Surrey RCMP requested the public for help locating then-23-year-old Clayton Brooks Hayden, who was wanted in connection with frauds that had occurred in November and December of 2020.

In the fraud incidents, Hayden approached the victim claiming to be in dire need of money. RCMP said Hayden asked them to deposit a cheque into their account through an ATM and withdraw the funds for him. Days later, the victims would realize the cheques were fraudulent.

The scams occurred in areas of British Columbia such as Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby, and all three cities’ RCMP detachments worked on the case.

According to police, Hayden was sentenced to 15 months in jail and two years of probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the 15 victims of the offences to which he pleaded guilty.

Surrey RCMP spokesperson, Cpl. Vanessa Munn, said “this individual preyed on people’s emotions and willingness to help someone they thought was less fortunate.”

“Surrey RCMP is reminding the public to be cautious and never to cash a cheque for someone they don’t know.”

This article was originally sourced by www.ctvnews.ca.