RCMP issues arrest warrants for quartet in multimillion telemarketing fraud
Sunday, July 22 2007 @ 11:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Contributed by: Michael Brusletten
Views: 2,179
By NELSON WYATT
Friday, July 20, 2007
MONTREAL (CP) - Increased co-operation between law enforcement and greater public awareness is helping police to put a dent in telemarketing fraud, the RCMP said Friday.
Quote: We are intercepting a lot more than we used to because we are working closely with Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post and we are making them more aware of what to look for, UnQuote said Sgt. Yves Leblanc of the RCMP commercial crime unit in Montreal.
Arrest warrants were issued Friday for four men in a multimillion-dollar fraud case that goes back to 2005 and spanned the U.S. and Canadian border.
Two other people have already been sentenced to 11 years and six years respectively in the case which Leblanc said resulted in losses in "the millions of dollars."
Quote: They were selling grants and loans, medical memberships and guaranteed credit cards, UnQuote Leblanc said, saying the medical memberships were supposed to guarantee discounts on prescription drugs.
Quote: They ask (the victims) for $400 or $500 to join this membership and usually this membership is not worth anything. UnQuote
The RCMP’s Project Colt has cracked down on about $44 million in telemarketing scams in the last six months with the interception of counterfeit cheques, cash and bank transfers.
The elderly are particular targets of scammers, who play on their loneliness and trusting nature, often tricking them into giving up personal bank or credit information or money to claim a prize they supposedly won.
But the public is also getting sharper, Leblanc said.
Quote: Citizens are more aware now so they’re not falling into the trap as much or if they do at least they can report it to us. UnQuote
People can tip police through a national hotline at 1-888-495-8501.
Many of the operations cracked were based in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver with others found in Calgary. Targets were often in the United States.
Friday, July 20, 2007
MONTREAL (CP) - Increased co-operation between law enforcement and greater public awareness is helping police to put a dent in telemarketing fraud, the RCMP said Friday.
Quote: We are intercepting a lot more than we used to because we are working closely with Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post and we are making them more aware of what to look for, UnQuote said Sgt. Yves Leblanc of the RCMP commercial crime unit in Montreal.
Arrest warrants were issued Friday for four men in a multimillion-dollar fraud case that goes back to 2005 and spanned the U.S. and Canadian border.
Two other people have already been sentenced to 11 years and six years respectively in the case which Leblanc said resulted in losses in "the millions of dollars."
Quote: They were selling grants and loans, medical memberships and guaranteed credit cards, UnQuote Leblanc said, saying the medical memberships were supposed to guarantee discounts on prescription drugs.
Quote: They ask (the victims) for $400 or $500 to join this membership and usually this membership is not worth anything. UnQuote
The RCMP’s Project Colt has cracked down on about $44 million in telemarketing scams in the last six months with the interception of counterfeit cheques, cash and bank transfers.
The elderly are particular targets of scammers, who play on their loneliness and trusting nature, often tricking them into giving up personal bank or credit information or money to claim a prize they supposedly won.
But the public is also getting sharper, Leblanc said.
Quote: Citizens are more aware now so they’re not falling into the trap as much or if they do at least they can report it to us. UnQuote
People can tip police through a national hotline at 1-888-495-8501.
Many of the operations cracked were based in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver with others found in Calgary. Targets were often in the United States.
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