Hamilton man arrested in phone scam involving impersonation of RCMP officer: police

Police say a Hamilton man has been arrested in connection with an alleged phone scam involving the impersonation of an RCMP officer.

In a news release on Thursday, Toronto police allege a man impersonated an RCMP investigator over the phone and told victims they were assisting with an investigation.

The man convinced the victims to withdraw large amounts of money and purchase gift cards to different retailers, police said.

The victims were then allegedly told to give gift card information to the man over the phone.

On Tuesday, officers from the Toronto police financial crimes unit, along with Hamilton police officers, executed a search warrant at a residence in Hamilton and arrested a 26-year-old man, police said.

Emre Suna of Hamilton has since been charged with three counts of fraud over $5,000 and three counts of possession of proceeds obtained by crime over $5,000.

2:01 Kingston police say fraud cases in phone and romance scams have doubled

Police are advising the public to be cautious when talking with strangers who request money over the phone or online, particularly those who request cash, wire transfers or gift cards.

Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to contact police at 416-808-7300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.