A rare case of fraud occurred recently in the Mississauga area, involving a substantial loss of CAD 97,000. Unusually, the suspect made a personal visit to the victim’s home to verify his identity and further carry out the scam.
A 38-year-old victim received a call in July 2022 from a person claiming to be a Shanghai Customs official. The caller alleged that the victim was involved in a fraud case in China and requested his cooperation in the investigation. The suspect demanded that the victim transfer funds to China, threatening deportation back to China for sanction if he did not comply. Initially, the victim made nine wire transfers to a Hong Kong account.
Later, the suspect visited the victim’s home, presenting himself as an officer from the “International Criminal Police Organization of China,” and using a fake police report from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, he swindled CAD 500 in cash. Subsequently, the victim made six more wire transfers.
After investigation, on April 17 of this year, police in Mississauga arrested a 57-year-old man of Chinese descent from Toronto, named Wu Zhiyong. He faces charges of fraud over CAD 5,000 and obtaining property through crime. Police believe that a larger international criminal group might be behind him, making it difficult to recover the stolen funds.
Toronto Chinese criminal defense lawyer Jake Shen commented, “Investigating such cases is complex; the suspect might just be a small fry. Catching him doesn’t mean the stolen money will be recovered. The funds might have been transferred to accounts in various countries, creating significant obstacles for police cooperation. Telecommunication fraud is very common and often involves young people and immigrants who are less familiar with Canadian laws and conditions. It’s important to know that international organizations like Interpol or the FBI have no jurisdiction in Canada.”
Police and criminal lawyers remind the public to have the ability to discern truth from deception, especially new immigrants and younger people who may not be fully aware of the legal and social situations in Canada, making them more susceptible to fraud.
Details of the case remain undisclosed, and the suspect will appear in court in Brampton, Ontario. According to statistics, the national loss due to fraud last year was approximately CAD 1.25 million. Police urge the public to remain vigilant and guard against fraudulent activities.