Four people have been charged in connection with a fraud investigation allegedly involving multiple moving companies in Toronto, police say.
Toronto police said on June 24, officers executed a search warrant in the Bellamy Road and Progress Avenue area in relation to a fraud investigation.
Police said two men were operating several budget moving companies under different names.
Officers said the companies allegedly included:
- Move Me Again Transportation Inc.
- All You Can Move
- Canadian Principal Movers
- Safebound Moving & Storage
- Roadway Moving & Storage
- 12282569 Canada Inc.
- All Over Canada Van Lines Inc.
- East Coast Star Van Lines Inc.
- Greenway Moving and Storage Inc.
- Moonstar Van Lines Inc.
- 13448037 Canada Inc.
- O’Canada Movers
- New Vision Movers
Police said customers would contact the companies online for moving services.
“The customers were quoted a low cost contract for moving their belongings,” a news release said.
Police said after the company loaded the customers’ belongings, the customer was presented with a contract to sign without a final price.
“The customers were contacted by an employee of the moving company shortly after taking possession of their property with a revised invoice,” police allege. “The customers were told that their final bills were thousands of dollars more than what they were originally quoted.”
Police said the customers were allegedly told that if they did not pay the full invoice, their property would be sold or disposed of.
“Some customers received a telephone call from a legal representative of the various moving companies denying customers lawful access to their property until payment was made,” police allege.
According to police, in some cases, some of the customers’ property was allegedly stolen or disposed of by the company.
Police said on Friday, 55-year-old Agatha Small from Toronto was arrested and charged with mischief interfering with property over $5,000, theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit and indictable offence.
Officers said small was released nd is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 1.
According to police, 30-year-old Cemal Ozturk, 29-year-old Dogan Celik and 26-year-old Amethyst Jones all from Toronto were each charged with several offences including 28 counts of fraud over $5,000, 29 counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and 72 counts of fraud under $5,000.
Officers said all customer property was identified and returned to the rightful owners.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Comments