Imagine thinking you won the lottery only to realize it was a scam.
That’s precisely what happened to a couple of lottery players who thought they had won big, only to discover that it was all untrue.
Peel Regional Police announced on June 13 that the Fraud Bureau has arrested and charged a woman connected to the alleged Advanced Fee Lottery Scam. Investigators believe the scam occurred over six months, starting in August 2022.
“The victims were led to believe that they had won a lottery prize and to claim their winnings they had to pay a fee,” reads a release.
Pau Novell Aran/Shutterstock
Residents of Alberta and Manitoba told police they had been instructed to send money through bank transfers. They were also instructed to mail cash and gift cards to a home in Mississauga.
Although the number of victims wasn’t specified, police say they are seniors.
According to investigators, the woman received over $50,000 from several victims. Police concluded their criminal investigation on Monday, June 12 and arrested Abigail Aseani Lindsay, a 27-year-old from Toronto.
She faces multiple charges, including:
- Defraud the Public Over $5,000,
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime x 2
Lindsay was released on an undertaking. She’s scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on Monday, July 31.
In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received fraud reports totalling $531 million in victim losses.
“A devastating $138 million in losses were reported by victims aged 60+,” they stated.
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