Two men have been arrested and three more are wanted on Canada-wide arrest warrants following a criminal investigation into a door-to-door sales scam that defrauded over 200 people in Ontario, police say. An Ontario Provincial Police investigation that began in 2021 discovered a scam where salespeople visited the homes of older adults and vulnerable people, convincing them "into home service and/or renovation agreements at exorbitant prices," police said in a release Wednesday. Police said victims in many cases believed they were getting services for free through government rebates and grants.
The suspects would then allegedly use the fake agreements to register a Notice of Security Interest (NOSI), against the victims' homes without their knowledge, police said. Similar to a lien, a NOSI can be registered on the title of a property by companies when they finance or lease equipment on a property as a form of assurance that the contract will be paid. The suspects then paid those NOSIs off with fraudulent, high-interest mortgages against the homes, police said.
Video ‘Elaborate’ scam results in unwanted mortgages with high interest rates Marketplace 'Elaborate scam' leaves seniors with high-interest mortgages they didn't want or understand In many cases, police said, the fraud left victims in "financial peril," forcing some to sell their homes. "It is evident this fraud has been financially, emotionally, and physically devastating for many victims across the province," poli.
