Charges laid after victim defrauded of $70K in romance scam in Ontario
An Ontario Provincial Police cruiser sits outside of a press conference in Vaughan, Ont., on June 20, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj
Police have charged a 44-year-old woman and are searching for another person of interest after someone was defrauded of more than $70,000 in a romance scam.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they launched an investigation in March 2020 after being informed of a romance fraud that occurred between January and March of that year.
According to investigators, the victim interacted with an unknown person online and was defrauded of more than $70,000.
Little information has been provided by police regarding the circumstances of the fraud or the interactions between the victim and scammer.
On Aug. 19, a suspect identified as 44-year-old Toronto resident Lisa Mclean was taken into custody. Mclean was charged with fraud under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Police have also said they are searching for a second person in connection with the fraud. They have released their photograph of the person of interest in hopes that a member of the public can identify them.
Ontario Provincial Police are searching for a person of interest in connection with a romance scam. (OPP)
Anyone with information is being urged to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
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