Toronto Police Are Looking For An Identity Thief Who Allegedly Got Away With $5M In Mortgages
They say he posed as a private mortgage broker.
If you've ever watched Catch Me If You Can, this real-life warning by the Toronto Police Service may sound familiar.
According to TPS, a Toronto man has allegedly pretended to be a private mortgage broker while using other people's identities to swindle over $5 million in mortgages since August 2020.
Toronto Police Service Financial Crimes have released photos of the man and are asking for help identifying him. He's described as 25 to 30 years old, with black hair and a "thin build."
According to a news release, the man went by the name of Lucas when he visited multiple law firms with a focus on real estate in the GTA. While there, he allegedly set up a guise with fake "lenders, borrowers and companies in order to obtain private mortgages."
Once he got the private mortgages police say "he then used fake identities of real people in order to place the fraudulent mortgages on the victims' homes without their knowledge."
So far, the man has managed to get over $5 million in mortgages involving several law firms across the GTA.
He's currently wanted for conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, fraud exceeding $5,000, and uttering forged documents.
"Investigators are advising the public – especially those in the mortgage and legal professions – to scrutinize all identification and be vigilant in confirming the identities of individuals in real estate transactions."
Police are warning those in the field to be aware of tardiness, inconsistency in times and appointments, online applications, unknown referrals from mortgage brokers, and urgent matters.