Trapped by fake profiles in Facebook

Catherine Bouchard

Saturday, 24 march, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 24 march, 2018 00:00

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Scammers have used fake profiles on Facebook for phishing up to 300 people in Quebec in order to steal sensitive information, such as account numbers and PIN numbers.

The fraudulent scheme was, however, stopped, as the team of economic crimes of the Sûreté du Québec has just pin five accomplices who would be involved in this case.

In total, 50 folders of fraud were the subject of an investigation, anywhere in Quebec. Three individuals of Granby, Antoine Giard, Kevin Bricault and Antony Gilbert, aged 20 to 22 years, were arrested and accused of fraud. Giard and Bricault, were accused in January of this year, while Gilbert — who was in Ontario — was finally arrested on Wednesday. He has also been accused of fraud.

A fourth suspect, who has not yet appeared, was arrested in February. The police said that he had been stopped at the exit of the Laurentides wildlife reserve after taking $ 10,000 to a victim alleged of Roberval.

The fifth suspect has been arrested in Toronto this week and was released on a promise to appear. According to the SQ, most of the charges relate to fraud over $5000.

These arrests took place following a request for assistance from the Sûreté municipale de Granby, in August, for folders bit common of fraud.

According to the SQ, the five suspects may have been between 200 and 300 victims. Their malicious activities have been losing significant amounts of money, up to $ 18,000, up to fifty victims of Abitibi, Rimouski, Chibougamau, Bellechasse and Beauce.

Sensitive information

“They said they were the owners of a company in Alberta and in Halifax, and they made a lot of profits. To avoid paying the tax, they created false client accounts. They deposited, then a check (fraudulent) via the mobile app in the account of the victim which, in turn, withdrew half of the money back to the fraudster and kept the other half, ” says Robert Dion, investigator in the team of the SQ.

The victim gave the money to the fraudster alleged in a public parking lot, or placed in another account. The damage was already done when the financial institutions realized that the cheque was not valid.

“There is no protection for the complainant, because it has volunteered its data bank. The victim becomes responsible for his loss, ” warns the investigator.