Man facing nearly 100 charges in Toronto fraud scheme using fake cheques
A 22-year-old man has been charged with nearly 100 offences after allegedly defrauding multiple people in Toronto using fake cheques.
According to Toronto police, the incidents took place over the span of about 10 months, between April 2021 and February 2022.
During this time, a man would reach out to victims on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace and Snapchat and agree to buy various items such as designer shoes and clothing.
Police say the man would meet the victims and pay for the items using fraudulent cheques that were deposited through mobile banking.
“The cheques would be more than the items purchased, causing the victims to transfer the difference back to the man,” police said in a news release issued in February.
The cheques were later put on hold and determined to be fake; however police say that by the time that process was complete, the man would have already fled with both the merchandise and money.
Police say they took a suspect into custody on June 27 in connection with the investigation.
Toronto resident Tyrese Campbell-Fraser was charged with 97 offences, including five counts of fraud over $5,000, 29 counts of fraud under $5,000, 30 counts of causing another person to act on a forged document, four counts of theft under $5,000, two counts of uttering threats and 27 counts of failing to comply with probation.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Police have also released Campbell-Fraser’s image as investigators believe there may be more victims.
He has been described as standing about six feet, weighing about 180 pounds, with braided hair and fades on the sides, and a black beard.
Police say he has tattoos of "Heaven Fraser" on his right forearm, and "514" on his left forearm.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact police or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.