A 28-Year-Old Ontario Woman Stole $200,000 From Filipinos In Toronto Using An Insanely Elaborate Scam
A Canadian woman managed to pull off a seriously elaborate scheme to steal money from the Filipino community in Toronto, and got away with it for an entire year. In total, she stole an astounding $200,000. However, the scam didn't last forever, and the woman has now been arrested.
Maria Elaine Doble, a 28-year-old woman from Oshawa, Ontario, has been arrested for several offences including fraud, according to a news release from the Durham Regional Police.
So, how'd she do it, you ask? The 28-year-old told Filipinos in the Greater Toronto Area that she worked with an immigration program called the Government Express Entry Compensation Program. She said she would be able to give them grants and help their friends and family immigrate quickly to Canada.
Noble then allegedly faked texts and emails that victims thought were from government officers, before telling them to pay by dropping off money in a mailbox or address. After payment, the victims got nothing in return and none of the promises were ever fulfilled. The woman eventually got caught and arrested.
According to the World Population Review, in 2018, Filipinos made up around 5.1% of the Toronto population, which is around 2.8 million people. Based on those numbers, there are approximately 143,000 Filipinos in the city.
There have been some other vicious scams across Canada this past year, including a slew of CRA scam phone calls targetting Canadians.
The Doble investigation is still ongoing and the Durham Regional Police are asking victims to come forward. You can recieve up to $2000 for reporting a tip about this incident to the Durham police. Doble was arrested yesterday, on October 18th.
Source: Durham Regional Police
