The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two individuals and are actively searching for additional suspects linked to a door-to-door sales fraud scheme that has affected over 200 victims.
The investigation, initiated in Collingwood, Ont. in 2021, evolved into what is known as Project Nettle.
Authorities discovered that suspects posing as salespeople visited the homes of older adults and vulnerable individuals, initiating fraud schemes that led victims to “unknowingly enter into home service and renovation agreements at exorbitant prices.”
Many victims believed they were receiving free services, installations, or renovations through government grants or rebates.
The suspects would create fake agreements to register Notice of Security Interests (NOSIs), which were then financed through high-interest mortgages against the victims’ properties. In some instances, this financial strain forced victims to sell their homes.
Extensive Investigation Leads to Arrests
As part of Project Nettle, investigators conducted over 200 interviews and found that the fraud had “financially, emotionally, and physically devastating” effects on many victims across the province.
The OPP arrested 39-year-old Rajivan Thillainadarajah from Mississauga and 40-year-old Sajjad Ahmad from Scarborough, charging them with various fraud offenses.
Thillainadarajah is scheduled to appear in court on October 3, 2024, while Ahmad’s court date is set for October 22, 2024.
Authorities are also seeking three other suspects: 23-year-old Anas Ayyoub of Toronto, 33-year-old Muhammad Waqar Afzal of Pickering, and 28-year-old Muhammad Wasiq Afzal of Scarborough. All three are wanted on Canada-wide warrants for multiple counts of fraud and one count each of laundering the proceeds of crime.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact authorities, and those who suspect they may have fallen victim to fraud should reach out to their local police.