Two men and three women are facing a number of fraud-related charges.

 

On September 19, police were called to the Bank of Montreal located at 6371 Quinpool Road, after staff became suspicious of a customer at the bank. Officers discovered the man in question was in possession of fake identification and was using it in an attempt to access an account that did not belong to him. The suspect was arrested at the scene without incident. It was later determined that he and four other individuals successfully defrauded other financial institutions earlier in the day. Officers arrested the other four suspects as they returned to a downtown hotel later that night.

 

The matter was turned over to the Financial Crime Unit of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division and they have laid the following charges against the suspects: Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. The accused are: 23-year-old Rohan Stephens of Toronto, Ontario, 22-year-old David Kwaku Antwi of Brampton, Ontario, 27-year-old Maanas Syal of Brampton, Ontario, 22-year-old Brittany Alexandra Randell of Toronto, Ontario and 20-year-old Raveena Arora of Napean, Ontario. They were held in custody over the weekend and will appear in Halifax Provincial Court tomorrow. This investigation is ongoing and more charges are anticipated.

 

Identity theft is a reality and has become more common with advancements in technology. It involves the unauthorized collection and use of personal data, usually for criminal purposes. Essentially, criminals can use your personal information – your name, date of birth, address, social insurance number, credit card information and other banking details – to create a false identity to open bank accounts, secure credit, obtain utilities and services, rent vehicles, equipment or accommodations and even get a job. To learn how to protect yourself, visit http://www.halifax.ca/Police/Programs/fraudprevention.php

 

Source: Release

#99