The Laval Police have arrested an underage fraudster who allegedly convinced victims, including several seniors, to hand over their debit cards and personal IDs (PINs), which he then allegedly used to commit fraud.
The LPD believe that up to 30 fraud incidents may all be connected to the same suspect. As part of the scheme, he would call victims at home and pretend to represent a financial institution.
He would then tell his targets that their bank card had been defrauded. According to the LPD, the suspect used a classic ruse to deceive the victims.
“He would ask them to place their cards in an envelope and write the personal identification number (PIN) on the back,” said an LPD spokesperson. “He then told them that a courier would pick up their cards at their home. Once retrieved, the cards were used to commit fraud at bank machines and businesses.”
However, in a few cases the courier called the victims back in a multi-party conference call, so that they could speak directly with a real representative of their financial institution to reactivate their card, which had been blocked on suspicion of fraud.
Three dead following horrific truck/car collision on Route 335 in Laval
Accident investigators were on the scene all afternoon just before the start of the Canada Day long weekend, following a major accident involving a large truck and several cars on Route 335 in east end Laval, in which three people died.
The southbound truck crashed head-on with a car headed in the opposite direction, followed by a second collision involving another car. One of the impacted cars collided again into the truck, after which both caught fire.
The occupants of both vehicles, three people in all, died in the ensuing blaze. According to reports, four other people, including a pregnant woman, suffered injuries, although not life-threatening.
The Laval Police announced five days after the crash that they are seeking witnesses. The investigation is still ongoing and the police are hoping to speak to anyone who was near the crash scene.
Anyone with information is asked to call the LPD’s Info Line at 450-662-INFO (4636) or 9-1-1. The file is LVL-240628-055.
Laval man jailed in Gatineau for multiple locker room thefts
A 32-year-old man from Laval will be spending a good part of a two-and-a-half-year sentence behind bars after pleading guilty to a series of thefts from gymnasium lockers in Gatineau in Quebec’s Outaouais region.
Evidence showed that since early 2022, Ahmad Mroue stole 36 smartphones, seven computer tablets and an unspecified number of key fobs and credit cards.
Among the incriminating evidence seized from him by police by the time they caught up was an Interac debit and credit card reader, which could be used to complete illegal financial transactions. Up to 15 police departments worked together on the investigation leading to Mroue’s eventual arrest.
The investigators testified that Mroue confessed to having carried out $220,000 worth of fraudulent acts in 16 different cities from January 2022 to January 2023.
Crime prevention experts warn that gymnasium locker rooms have become one of the most frequent targets for the theft of personal items, such as smartphones and wallets containing debit and credit card information, because of the vulnerability of gym lockers.
They recommend using a solid and reliable lock, or simply not storing key valuables in gym lockers because of the elevated risk of theft.
SQ seizes illegal marijuana in Laval and Saint Jérôme
Officers with the Laval Police Dept. joined colleagues with the Sûreté du Québec in the execution of warrants, during which large quantities of illegally-produced marijuana as well as other narcotic substances were seized in Laval as well as in Saint Jérôme.
Officers executed the warrants at addresses on Fortin Blvd. in Laval and on 103rd Ave. in Saint Jérôme. The following evidence was seized:
- Nearly 1,000 plants of marijuana;
- More than 100 kilos of marijuana;
- Nearly 30 tablets of methamphetamine;
- Nearly $4,000 CDA in cash;
Equipment used for the production of marijuana.