This week, the Ontario Provincial Police revealed that it has been contacted by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation regarding a potentially illegal activity on its gaming websites. In the news release, the OPP told the public that it conducted an investigation between last March and December, which found fraudulent player accounts created using forged or altered documents.
The police department revealed that the investigation between March and December 2021 found that an individual has been using forged or altered identification with stolen fraudulent credits cards. With the forged information the individual was able to create accounts on the OLG’s gaming websites and even wager for a while before being noticed by the Crown.
Perpetrator Found
OPP’s statement also informs that besides forged documents, the individual has also hacked cell phones as a way of getting their hands on more mobile devices. The news release also notes that back in February this year, the OPP acquired a search warrant for a property in London, Ontario, where officers discovered and seized several electronic devices as evidence.
The police’s statement continues by saying that the OPP Digital Forensics Unit provided an expert examination of the found devices from the house in order to determine evidence. Then, on July 5, 2022, a 17-year-old boy from London has been arrested. His name cannot be revealed to the public due to a provision under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The London perpetrator has now been charged with allegations of counts of CA$5,000 of fraud, three counts of fraud under CA$5,000, five counts of personation with intent, as well as seven counts of using forged documents. The 17-year-old has been released from custody, and he is expected to stand trial this summer in a Toronto court on August 16, 2022.
Previous Police Intervention
This has been the first time that Ontario authorities have intervened in illegal gambling activities. In February this year, the Waterloo police department reported that it has busted an illegal gambling den located in Kitchener, Ontario. At the site, officers discovered over CA$36,000 in cash, poker chips, as well as other gaming machines. All of the evidence has been seized, and the investigation is still in progress.
And back in January 2021, the Toronto police discovered yet another illegal gaming den, but this time at the city’s centre. On the night of January 29, 2021, officers answered a call from a civilian who has spotted a shady individual carrying a fire-arm on Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West. At the location, the police discovered an unregulated gaming den in the said house’s basement.
At the house, policemen found 14 individuals gambling illegally and arrested them. In addition to that, the officers have also discovered a large amount of cash, which remained undisclosed. In addition to illicit gambling, the 14 individuals were also charged for failing to comply with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which states that only household members are allowed to stay inside the property during a lockdown.
Source: Rocca, Ryan “‘Fraudulent player accounts’ used by teen to target online gambling in Ontario, police allege”, Global News, July 14, 2022
