A man has been arrested and charged with defrauding 55 victims by claiming to provide them with their bank cards.
According to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Jean-François Gagnon posed as a false representative, a type of fraud in which a suspect typically calls people posing as a bank representative. The 34-year-old man was arrested in Saint-Calixte on Wednesday and appeared in Trois-Rivières court the same day.
During his calls, the fraudster tries to convince the victim that there is a problem with his bank cards and that he should put them in an envelope, with the corresponding zip number, and put the envelope in his mailbox. Then an associate comes to collect the envelope.
“In some cases, a fake police officer speaks to the victim over the phone, reassuring them and adding credibility to the scheme,” the SQ added.
A provincial police investigation has linked Gagnon to 53 incidents in 29 different cities since last January. In total, 55 people with an average age of 80 were robbed of about $200,000 over a nine-month period.
Jean-François Gagnon faces multiple fraud charges and has been detained pending further legal proceedings.
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