A couple from Toronto is facing legal charges for allegedly defrauding numerous Canadians out of millions of dollars.
According to a news release issued by the RCMP on Thursday, the individuals utilized technology to obscure their phone number, allowing them to impersonate employees from banks, government agencies, or law enforcement in order to deceive victims into transferring funds.
The suspects, aged 29 and 31, reportedly employed a spoofing website to make calls while presenting a fraudulent caller ID.
The RCMP indicated that these individuals were among the most frequent users of iSpoof.cc, a platform utilized globally by subscribers to make unauthorized calls while misrepresenting their identity. This website reportedly had up to 38,000 subscribers.
“This specific technology enabled criminals to acquire a subscription to impersonate reputable organizations,” stated the RCMP in their announcement.
Law enforcement officials conducted a search of the couple’s residence, where they confiscated a significant collection of items, including various electronic devices.
Authorities reported that at least 570 individuals fell victim to the fraud, with the potential for this number to rise as the seized devices undergo further examination.
The RCMP noted that the couple allegedly employed a range of spoofing, phishing, and smishing tactics to exploit their victims.
They have been charged with multiple offenses, including fraud, unauthorized computer use, laundering criminal proceeds, unauthorized possession of credit card information, and possession of the proceeds of crime.
The individuals accused were apprehended on Wednesday and subsequently remanded to the Maplehurst Correctional Complex and the Vanier Centre for Women. They are scheduled to appear remotely in a Toronto courtroom on February 21.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), spoofing has allegedly been employed on a ‘global scale.’ Inspector Lina Dabit, who oversees the Cybercrime Investigative Team Toronto for the Ontario RCMP, stated during a press conference on Thursday that the arrests were made following information received from the London Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom, as part of an investigation known as Operation Elaborate, which involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
Operation Elaborate was spearheaded by the London Metropolitan Police, with assistance from the Dutch National Police and Europol.
“Evidence suggests that the magnitude of their operation was vast,” Dabit remarked at the press conference. “We allege that these individuals are accountable for millions of dollars lost by victims throughout Canada.”
“Moreover, we believe that nearly every bank in Canada has fallen victim to these suspects, along with many of their clients.”
Dabit explained that cybercriminals utilize spoofing techniques to deceive victims into believing they are communicating with a trustworthy individual.
“This often results in victims lowering their defenses and revealing sensitive information.”
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians lost $638 million to fraud last year.
“These financial losses have had, and continue to have, devastating effects on Canadian families, who may risk losing a lifetime of savings,” Dabit added.