200+ Victims Defrauded – Names Released

(TORONTO, ON) – Members of Ontario’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have arrested two more individuals following a criminal investigation linked to a door-to-door sales fraud which victimized over 200 people across Ontario. In this fraud scheme, salespeople attended the homes of older adults and vulnerable people to initiate frauds where victims unknowingly entered into home service and/or renovation agreements at exorbitant prices. Many victims believed they were getting services/installations and renovations for free through government grants or rebates. 

Organizers of this fraud then used the fake agreements to register Notice of Security Interest’s (NOSIs) against victims’ homes without their knowledge. Later, these NOSIs were paid off to the benefit of the organizers using fraudulent, high-interest mortgages against the victims’ homes. In many cases, this fraud left the victims in financial peril; and in some cases, forced the victims to sell their homes.

As a result of the investigation, police charged two individuals under the Criminal Code:

Austin ACHESON, age 29, of Woodbridge, has been charged with:

·      Fraud Over $5000 – two counts

Danielle HARRISON, age 39, of Mississauga, has been charged with:

·      Fraud Over $5000 – three counts

·      Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000

The accused were arrested on October 15 and 17, 2024 and were subsequently released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto in November.

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