Quebec man charged with 11 counts of fraud in B.C.'s Lower Mainland
A Quebec man is facing 11 counts of fraud connected to incidents across B.C.'s Lower Mainland, Surrey Mounties say.
Florian Dinca, 44, was charged with two counts of fraud and nine counts of fraud over $5,000 following a months-long investigation.
Surrey Mounties said they first got complaints in January from three people saying they became victims of fraud while trying to sell items online. Victims reported they were shown an envelope full of money when they first met the buyer, but later discovered it wasn't the agreed-upon payment.
While investigating these incidents, Mounties discovered similar reports in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, West Vancouver and Maple Ridge and were able to identify a suspect. Then, while preparing its report to Crown counsel, Toronto Police Service informed Surrey RCMP the suspect they'd identified was arrested on April 8.
Envelope swap
Last month, police in Toronto said they arrested and charged Dinca with fraud over $5,000 after he allegedly swapped an envelope full of cash with one filled with paper during a Facebook Marketplace transaction.
In that instance, police said the accused used the alias "Danny" on the social media platform's buying and selling site, where he reached out to the victim expressing interest in buying some of the items they posted for sale.
He allegedly handed the victim an envelope with cash and received the items that were for sale.
Police said that during that exchange, the accused swapped the envelope with the cash payment for another that contained only paper. The victim didn't realize the envelope had no money inside of it until after the accused left.
Surrey Mounties haven't confirmed the suspect used the same tactics in the Lower Mainland, only saying victims discovered they didn't receive the correct payment.
Back in Surrey custody
Surrey RCMP said they wrapped up their report to Crown counsel "on an urgent basis," allowing a Canada-wide warrant to be issued "with transport custody to Surrey."
Mounties said Dinca remains in pre-trial custody and has a court appearance scheduled for Friday.
"This was a complex investigation which included multiple jurisdictions," Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha said in a news release. "The primary investigator's dedication and investigative skills were paramount in identifying the suspect."
Anyone who thinks they've been a victim of fraud should contact their local police.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Alex Arsenych
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.