*NEWS*TONER FRAUD RING BUSTED IN ……

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Alleged fraud ring busted in Montreal
October  2007 MONTREAL – A total of more than 160 police officers from various forces executed search warrants on five Montreal-area locations Tuesday in connection with an alleged international telemarketing fraud ring that targeted small businesses.More than 100 arrests were expected at what RCMP Cpl. Elaine Lavergne described as the suspected headquarters of the ring downtown Montreal.Complaints were received from Canada, the U.S., Belgium, France, Switzerland and other European locations, said Diane L’Ecuyer, assistant deputy commissioner of the Competition Bureau.She said an investigation involving the Competition Bureau has been underway for more than one year and that initial complaints were received in 2004.

The alleged ring sold first-aid kits, toner and ink supplies and directory listings at what L’Ecuyer described as “inflated prices.” She said that a first-aid kit valued at $40 was being sold for almost $500. Other supplies being sold included fax paper, ink, ribbons and toner, she said.The forces involved in the investigation include the RCMP, Surete du Quebec, Montreal police, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Lavergne said.In the early afternoon small groups of what appeared to be office workers were being escorted, some with hands bound with tie-wraps, onto three school buses.Some were carrying what appeared to be personal possessions. Some had coats on their heads masking their faces. They appeared to be a diverse group in age range.No charges have been laid yet, but charges are expected, Lavergne said. The basis for charges would be under anti-fraud provisions in the federal Criminal Code and under the federal Competition Act, Lavergne and L’Ecuyer said.

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October 15, 2007 at 10:10 AM