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Toronto police have arrested 12 folks and laid 102 fees in a serious synthetic-identity fraud investigation dubbed Mission Deja Vu.
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Artificial-identity fraud is a type of monetary fraud the place fictional private info is used to open accounts in banks, monetary establishments and different companies.
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“However this isn’t nearly fraud. Accounts obtained beneath synthetic-identity are identified to facilitate different severe felony offences, together with the laundering the proceeds of human trafficking, drug trafficking and armed theft amongst different severe crimes,” mentioned Det. David Coffey with the monetary crimes unit.
In October 2022, police started investigating a synthetic-identity credit score fraud scheme that started in 2016.
The perpetrators are alleged to have created greater than 680 distinctive artificial identities used to open tons of of financial institution accounts
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“The fraudulently obtained credit score accounts had been then drawn upon by the use of in-store and on-line purchases, money withdrawals, or digital fund transfers. In lots of circumstances, fraudulent funds had been made into the credit score account to permit them to be drawn past their outlined limits. Thus far, this scheme has resulted in confirmed losses of roughly $4 million,” Coffey mentioned.
The investigation started with a report from a monetary establishment that situated a number of artificial accounts, most of which had been opened by a single one who had beforehand labored on behalf of the corporate.
Police have executed greater than 20 search warrants and 80 manufacturing orders to analyze this case and seized a number of dozen artificial identification paperwork, digital templates to create false identifications and false paperwork, tons of of fee playing cards related to financial institution/credit score accounts obtained beneath artificial identities and roughly $300,000.
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The 12 folks charged with the 102 fees that embrace laundering proceeds of crime, fraud over $5,000, and utter solid doc to call a couple of included Hasnain Akram, 28, of Brampton; Muhammad Hamza Baig, 31, of Ayr; Zelle Ali Choudary, 34, of Brampton; Rashad Iqbal, 41, of Caledon; Ranafayysal Masood Khan, 38, of Mississauga; Anmol Khurana, 27, of Markham; Fahad Ben Mofeez, 30, of Brampton; Muhammad Usman Saif, 32, of Brampton; Ali Sana, 26, of Brampton; Mian Muhammad Saud, 35, of Belle River; Sibt Hussain Syed, 60, of Brampton; and Mueed Tanveer, 27, of Brampton.
Anybody with info is requested to contact police at 416-808-7300 or name Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
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