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Arrest made in false lottery investigation

Victim told cell number was randomly selected and he won the $320 000 Wild Card Game Lottery
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North Bay Police Service

North Bay Police made an arrest yesterday involving a false lottery investigation.

Police say the victim received an email indicating his cell number was randomly selected and he had won the $320 000 Wild Card Game Lottery.

The victim received a $4,000 cheque with instructions on cashing the cheque and transferring a monetary fee to release his winnings. The cheque was later determined to be fraudulent and the victim suffered the loss of the money he had transferred.

He made a complaint to the police.

The investigation identified a man that was then arrested on August 12.

Justin Leano, 23, of Scarborough has been arrested and charged with:

  • Fraud; and
  • Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000;

Leano has been released from custody and will appear in the North Bay Courthouse on September 17.

North Bay Police say that if you are a victim;

  • Gather all information including documents, receipts, copies of emails and/or text messages.
  • Report the incident to the police. Keep notes of all calls and document your file or occurrence numbers.
  • Contact the Canadian Anti‐Fraud Centre toll-free at 1‐888‐495‐8501
  • Report the incident to the Financial Institution where the money was sent. (e.g., Money Service Business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, Bank or Credit Union, Credit Card Company or Internet Payment Service Provider).
  • If the fraud took place online through Facebook, eBay, a classified ad such as Kijiji or a dating website, be sure to report the incident directly to the website. This is often found under “Report Abuse” or “Report an Ad”.
  • Victims of Identity Fraud should place flags on all their accounts and report to both Credit Bureau’s, Equifax and TransUnion.