Details on an online romance scam have been released by the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS).
The investigation was dubbed ‘Project Silver Fox’, and it dates back to 2020. In October and November, a senior victim was contacted by a person claiming to be a retired Canadian Army Sergeant (named Darren Michaelson), and began an online romantic relationship. Over a number of weeks, the victim was tricked into sending money to persons they believed were assisting Michaelson with legal troubles and assistance returning to Canada.
The victim was defrauded of more than $150,000.
The HRPS has announced that multiple arrests were recently made.
A 21-year-old woman of Oakville has been arrested and charged with:
- Fraud Over $5,000
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000
- Laundering the Proceeds of Crime
A 38-year-old woman from of London has been arrested and charged with:
- Fraud Over $5,000
A 36-year-old man of Toronto has been arrested and charged with:
- Fraud Under $5,000
A 35-year-old man of Toronto has been arrested and charged with:
- Fraud Over $5,000
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000
- Laundering the Proceeds of Crime
A 28-year-old man of Toronto has been arrested and charged with:
- Fraud Over $5,000
- Laundering the Proceeds of Crime
Further arrests are anticipated and police believe there may be additional victims.
In a release, the HRPS says it would like to remind residents of the danger and frequency of these types of scam. Do not send money or gift cards to persons you have not met in person. Do not provide your personal information such as financial documents, identification or passwords when communicating online. More can be found here.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center, online romance scams took more than $7.3 million from Canadians in 2020 alone.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective Constable Derek Gray of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Seniors Liaison Team at 905-825-4747 ext. 2344
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
