BRAMPTON, Ont. — Police say they have charged a 34-year-old Brampton, Ont., man in an international cyber crime investigation.
Peel Regional Police say the alleged fraud took place between January 2020 and February 2022 and targeted seniors across Canada.
They say the alleged scam tricked people into believing their personal computers were infected with a virus or malware and put them in touch with call centre agents, who then convinced them to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs.
In some cases, police allege the victims were talked into allowing the agents to access their computers remotely.
Investigators say 330 Canadians were scammed out of roughly half a million dollars in total.
Police say the business names primarily used to defraud the victims were A2Z Consultants Group Inc., QB Services, and SSS Consultants.
The suspect in Brampton is charged with fraud over $5,000, unauthorized use of a computer and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police say the alleged scam operated in Brampton, New Delhi and the states of New York and New Jersey. They say authorities in India and the U.S. have also laid charges against suspects in their countries.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2023.
