Montrealer allegedly defrauded victims of nearly $600K
Posted March 1, 2024 9:15 am.
Last Updated March 1, 2024 10:32 am.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) say they arrested a Montreal man suspected of defrauding his victims upwards of $600,000.
Asim Ahmed, 42, was charged Thursday with fraud from an investigation started in October 2022.
The SQ Economic Crimes Investigation Division explained that the suspect’s strategy consisted of approaching people by telling them that he had sued the Quebec government and the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) and that he “would have won his case.”
However, according to police, he claimed to his potential victims that he needed money to pay the penalties and administrative fees required to recover the amounts he claimed to be the beneficiary of.
Fraud prevention month starts in March, and the SQ is reminding citizens that vigilance is the best way to counter fraud.
“Citizens must be skeptical of overly attractive offers, validate the information and question the lure of too easy gain. These simple actions can save them a lot of trouble,” reads a SQ press release.
The Sûreté du Québec and its partners invite anyone to report any fraudulent activities to their local police department or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501.
This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews.
