A man from the City of Brampton was charged with fraud by the York Regional Police Mayor Fraud unit after it was found out he was connected with a $30,000 fraud case according to the Brampton division of the private investigation agency Haywood Hunt & Associates Inc. It is believed that the 41-year-old man may have more victims.

Search for Romance Gone Wrong

In April of this year, a 51-year-old woman from Vaughan reported that she had been defrauded. Investigation immediately followed after she shared details of her ordeal.

The woman told investigators that she met the perpetrator online and became acquainted in a romantic way. Some money was exchanged and later on, the fraudster told the victim that her money was only borrowed and that she will get it back. They were supposed to meet up with an associate, another man named Adam David who will return her funds. This man claimed to be a diplomat from the United Kingdom.

The victim met up with the ‘diplomat’ at the Pearson International Airport and the man claimed that he has money but not at the moment. He said that his money was being held up at Customs Canada and that he needed extra funds to pay for the money’s release. The victim was showed a case full of cash back at the hotel. But to her surprise, all the money was painted in black. The fraudster then said that because he had to smuggle the money in, he had to paint it black. He also claimed that the money could easily be cleaned with the use of a cleaning solution but she will have to pay for it as his funds are unusable. The woman met up with the fraudster on another day hand over some funds to buy the cleaning solution. After all this, the suspect was never seen again.

After investigation, the police were able to uncover the fraudster’s true identity on August 31, 2016. A search and arrest warrant was issued and the suspect was arrested at his Brampton home. Because of the way the crime was executed, investigators are suspecting that they might be more victims and are waiting for them to come forward.

The suspect is scheduled to present his case before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on the 29^th of September 2016.

It Pays to Be Informed

The York Regional Police says that awareness and prevention are still the best way to protect residents against fraud. Scams like this abound. Suspects use a variety of tactics and tricks to lure in victims and get away with getting as much money as they can from their victims. Citizens are urged to always consult with a trusted family member or a lawyer before sending or handing over some money to new acquaintances, especially if they claim to be from abroad or are involved with some illegal activities such as smuggling money. Cases like this should also be reported to be police as soon as possible.