Monday, April 15, 2013, 10:30 a.m. Toronto Police Headquarters, Media Gallery,
News conference, re: Man arrested in $450,000 fraud investigation, Herman Fankem, 32, Display of "Black Money"
Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit 416−808−7300
On Monday, April 15, 2013, at 10:30 a.m., in the media gallery at headquarters, Detective Alan Spratt, Financial Crimes Unit, held a news conference, displaying the "Black Money" kit allegedly used in a $450,000 fraud scheme.
On Tuesday, April 9, 2013 members of the Toronto Police Service Financial Crimes Unit, Toronto Strategic Partnership, arrested a man in a fraud investigation.
It is alleged that:
− in October 2012, the victim was contacted by five men, including the accused, in answer to a real−estate advertisement the victim had posted for the sale of a commercial property
− the suspects befriended the victim and told the victim that they had a large sum of money coming in from South Africa that would be used to pay for the commercial property
− the money was coated in a dark coating and required cleaning prior to it being handed over to the victim
− the victim was told to cover the cost of the cleaning and was promised more money − once trust was gained, the victim gave a large sum of money to the men − the coated money was fake and the victim lost approximately $450,000. Herman Fankem, 32, of Montreal, has been arrested and charged with:
1) Fraud Over $5,000
He was scheduled to appear in court at 1000 Finch Avenue West, on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 10 a.m.
Police believe there may be other victims.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416−808−7300, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.
The Toronto Strategic Partnership is a multi−law enforcement agency, formed in response to ever−increasing cross−border fraudulent mass marketing schemes. The Partnership consists of the Competition Bureau of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services, Ontario Ministry of Revenue, Toronto Police Service Financial Crimes Unit, Ontario Provincial Police Anti−Rackets, the Canadian Anti−Fraud−Centre, RCMP−GTA Commercial Crime Section, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Postal Service and the U.K. Office of Fair Trading.
