BUSINESS OWNER CHARGED AFTER DEFRAUDING NUMEROUS EAST REGION RESIDENTS

Grenville County – A construction business owner has been charged with 22 fraud-related offences following an investigation that included 11 victims, and approximately one million dollars in total losses.

In October 2022, the Grenville County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received information alleging that a business had not completed the agreed-upon contractual work of numerous victims’ residences in Eastern Ontario.

The OPP’s investigation was assisted by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, the Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

On August 17, 2023, a 46-year-old resident from Luskville, Quebec was arrested and charged with the following Criminal Code offences:

· False pretense over $5,000 (three counts)

· Fraud over $5,000 (eight counts)

· Theft over $5,000 (eleven counts)

The accused was later released from custody and will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brockville on October 13, 2023.

The accused’s name has not been released as the information has not yet been sworn to by a Justice of the Peace. Additional details will be released as it becomes available.

Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs:

· Get written estimates from at least three (3) contractors;

· Never pay the full amount of the contract before the work is done, as this will protect you from losing money if the company goes out of business or declares bankruptcy before finishing the project;

· Check the contractor and business in the Consumer Beware List to see if there are any complaints or charges against the contractor in recent postings of charges and convictions under the Consumer Protection Act or with the Better Business Bureau, Chambers of Commerce and your city for any information they may have on the contractor;

· Never accept an estimate over the phone or without the contractor inspecting the area;

· Remember… if a deal sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

Learn how to hire a reliable contractor and see what you need to include in your contract with them.

Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.