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Northeast of Montreal | Eight young people arrested after a hundred frauds against seniors

Eight suspects aged 19 and 21 have just been arrested by the Montreal police, in connection with a hundred frauds committed against the elderly in the northeast of Montreal. The authorities are once again calling on the population to be vigilant, at a time when this type of crime is on the increase.

Posted at 2:02 p.m.


Henri Ouellette-Vezina

Henri Ouellette-Vezina
The Press

It was on June 16, after a long police investigation lasting several weeks, that the group of suspects was arrested by the police. They also carried out searches in two residences in Bois-des-Filion and Terrebonne, as well as in eight vehicles.

During these searches, Montreal investigators seized “cell phones, bank cards, transaction records, uniforms and an air pistol,” the SPVM said in a statement.

However, all the suspects have been released on a promise to appear at the Montreal courthouse next September. Their identity cannot be revealed until this date. They should then face multiple charges, related to fraud and theft. We know, however, that the frauds were mainly committed in the boroughs of Anjou, Montreal-North and Saint-Léonard, often in residences for the elderly.

Fake reps

It seems to have been established that the suspects were mainly using “false representatives” fraud, which is well known to the authorities. First, a first suspect reaches a senior by telephone, and claims to be an employee of a bank or other financial institution. Through an application, fraudsters are able to display the name of a company directly on the display.

Once in contact, the suspect informs the victim of the presence of a “fraudulent transaction” on his bank card, insisting on “the urgency to act” to correct the situation. The victim is then asked to give their personal identification number (PIN), and to insert their card in an envelope, saying that a “postman” will pick it up. This second man is in fact an accomplice; he goes quickly to retrieve the envelope before fleeing, card and PIN in hand.

“In each file, the fraudsters hastened to make withdrawals at the ATM or to make various purchases with the stolen cards”, note the investigators.

To protect themselves, the police first suggest to “never trust” what is written on your phone’s display, or to assume that the source indicated is the right one. Citizens are also asked not to give personal information over the telephone.

“Financial institutions never ask their customers to hand over bank cards or tell someone their PIN. Never give in to pressure. Always consult a member of your family or a trusted loved one to validate the information received,” says the SPVM, inviting citizens to consult their local police station if necessary.

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