A º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøman has been arrested after two people were swindled out of more than $600,000 in a romance scam lasting more than two years, Peel police said on Friday.
The two victims met the man online and “believed they were in a genuine romantic relationship” with him between June 2021 and July 2023, policeÂ
The man said he urgently needed money for an “oil rig” he owned in the Middle East, according to investigators, adding that he promised a meeting and repayment. Â
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Police say the man then cut off all contact with the victims after they confronted him.
The victims never met the man in person and were never repaid. They lost a total of $610,382, officers said.Â
The man was previously arrested in November 2023 where he allegedly used the exact same scam to defraud a victim out of more than $250,000, police added. Those allegations are currently before the courts.Â
Officers arrested the 28-year-old man again on Monday and have charged him with two counts of fraud over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime, utter forged documents, laundering proceeds of crime, participate in activities of criminal organization and instructing commission of offence for criminal organization.
The man was released on an undertaking and is set to appear before Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.
Investigators believe there may be more victims and say the man is part of a criminal network that targets “older adult dating websites for the purpose of exploiting its trusting or vulnerable clientele.”
Kristjan Lautens is a staff reporter, working out of the Star’s
radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: klautens@thestar.ca
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