Editor’s Note: The charges against the accused were dropped.
Police say a man has been charged after the name of a legitimate private school was used in an unusual alleged fraud that left some high school students in the Greater Toronto Area with illegitimate grades.
Peel Regional Police said they learned last month that several schools within the region received “bogus” report cards from students enrolled in a private learning academy.
Police allege a 28-year-old Brampton man created a “fictitious” website using the name of a ministry-approved online private school, the Canadian Higher Learning Academy, and accepted payment for high school courses from students.
“The accused would then produce bogus report cards and send it to the secondary schools and the Ontario University Application Centre on behalf of the student,” police alleged in a news release.
The URL associated with the real school ends in .ca, and the other site used .org, police said.
The Canadian Higher Learning Academy website features a note warning students not to register for its courses through a third-party.
Police said the now-invalid grades have put the victims’ post-secondary enrolment plans in jeopardy for the fall.
The man, who police say does not have any known association with the Canadian Higher Learning Academy, was arrested and charged with defrauding the public on July 5. He is expected to appear in court on July 31.
According to police, there are five to 10 known victims, and they believe there could be others. Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.