Posted 5:00 am Updated 5:00 am
Mayssa Ferah La Press
“Gang or not, everyone is armed”
PHOTOMONTAGE THE PRESS
“nudges” at the counter. From the street to the bank. Once associated only with selling drugs, criminals and gang members have turned to fraud and changed the dynamics of armed conflict.
Selling drugs will have paid off for Carlos*. But the game wasn’t worth the candle. “I was afraid to sell to an undercover [agent double] or get caught in a tail. They have many ways to get you in. »
So he turned to a revenue stream that often goes under the radar: bank fraud.
SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM
A person on Instagram claims to be offering allegedly scammed phones at half price.
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A suspected scammer shows a wad of cash on Instagram.
SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM
A suspected scammer withdraws money from an ATM
SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM
A suspected scammer withdraws money from an ATM.
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A suspected scammer claims to be selling prepaid credit cards at half price.
SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM
A suspected scammer claims to be selling prepaid credit cards at half price.
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Carlos was never imprisoned in connection with this type of crime. However, he is known to the police.
In the past, narcotics were needed [stupéfiants] Be rich. Now you’re making $50,000 without actually going into the field. It’s less stressful.
Carlos, scammer
Young, inexperienced bandits can be caught in large fraudulent transactions. But several small sums? “It happens, but not often. There are far too many to stop them all. It’s too volatile,” illustrates this more experienced bandit. He is not a “crazy head” and “does not interfere in street dramas”.
The portrait of the criminal, painted in the thirties, is interspersed with colourful, if disturbing, anecdotes. They make one thing clear: the street has changed. The scam has unbalanced the power dynamic between young bandits and veterans.
He gives insightful examples. A drunken evening where two young scammers pull out their Glock pistols over a trite insult. Hardly fighting newcomers throw unnecessary taunts at an older gang member while they laugh at his latest music video. Teens brandishing wads of cash on Snapchat inviting much older enemies to challenge them.
The new generation is less afraid. There is no structure when you earn your money alone. So why should you have respect for older people?
Carlos
It all created a domino effect, he continues. When a confrontational and proud con man is rich enough to snag a Glock, his five enemies will feel the need to protect themselves… on equal terms.
“That changed the game. Without the scam, we wouldn’t have the amount of guns circulating that we currently have in Montreal,” says another criminal source consulted by La Presse to corroborate this story. The young criminal does not see himself as a member of the gang, but visits them often enough to be aware of the ongoing conflicts. He himself cheated for help when he was broke or in debt.
“In the case of small amounts, no one takes the time for a complex investigation,” he explains.
money and problems
Fraud is a less complex route than drugs, which criminals have long viewed as the only way to make an illegal fortune. However, anyone who wants to is not allowed to trade in illegal substances. “They depend on older, more experienced criminals. You can’t wake up one day and sell crack on Place Émilie-Gamelin. You can’t shoot whoever you want in broad daylight because you’re asked to calm down so as not to damage the structure,” Carlos continues.
“It’s the status of scammers that has changed,” nuanced an ex-gangster interviewed by La Presse on the subject.
They used to be considered the guys who were too scared to risk getting into a fight, getting stabbed or shot.
Getting rich at high speed also leaves criminals vulnerable to thieves and jealousy-based rivalries, our source believes.
When you sell drugs, you have someone above you. He himself has someone above him. There is a large organizational chart. Disobedience or stupidity can cost you dearly.
A criminal source
Scammers have always been viewed as “charismatic, good-looking kids who aren’t dangerous,” he explains. Some party and travel all year round. Others have legal businesses, real estate. “But now they’re going to the beefs [conflits], because they think they are really smart and don’t have a boss. Without fraud, we wouldn’t have this violence,” our source said.
“That made them arm themselves. Gang or not, everyone’s armed. More money, more problems. »
* Fictional first names
Anthony, a cheating “pro”
PHOTOMONTAGE THE PRESS
Anthony* is barely over twenty. Despite his young age, he wears nothing but designer clothes and the latest sneakers, lives in a new condo, and displays his Bitcoin wallet like a hunting trophy. And like many young criminals, he sometimes walks around with a loaded gun.
“I’m not listening [les plus grands]. i do mine [argent] all alone. I have almost as much money as them, so why should I work for them? You give me a quarter of what I can do on my own. I don’t need anyone,” the boy boasts.
Young Anthony begins this monologue when asked how much money he makes from cheating. His grim tone says a lot about his relationship with authority. The message is clear: He obeys no one. Not even for older, more experienced criminals.
“Greg and JP? Why should I listen to them? I’d rather earn my own money,” he says without hesitation in his voice.
It refers to Gregory Woolley and Jean-Philippe Célestin, seen by the police as two influential men on the street, close to Italian organized crime and motorcyclists. He just doesn’t care about these well-known figures of the criminal world, he says with a shrug. Why try to climb the ladder when he can “make his own money”?
Small sums, big loot
Anthony meets us at a fancy neighborhood cafe in an area where no one knows him. Luxurious handbag, ultra-modern sneakers, colorful quilted coat and a Moncler hat with the logo clearly visible: her extravagant look contrasts with the sober attire of the few customers present in the establishment. Some stare at him curiously.
He describes himself as a fraud pro. He goes from rooster to donkey and sometimes dodges some of our questions. But he’s quite talkative when people talk to him about money.
His illegal “livelihood” allowed him to impress Toronto mobsters and expand his network of connections. He nonchalantly describes his regular visits to the Queen City.
Toronto boys don’t know how to cheat. They ask the guys from Montreal how it’s done.
Anthony
The fraud will “make him a millionaire,” he says in all seriousness. He started with small sums. “$500, $1,000, $3,000,” he says. These modest sums enabled the purchase of game consoles, smartphones, gift cards, prepaid Visa cards and furniture. He resold the whole thing for a fraction of the price. “You end up becoming like a kind of salesman. If the price of the new iPhone goes up, your profits go up,” he explains.
A quick visit to social networks like Snapchat or Instagram confirms his story. Over the past few weeks, La Presse has been monitoring several anonymous accounts, but they are open to all. These alleged scammers issue wads of banknotes, “vanilla cards” (prepaid Visa and Mastercard cards), and ATMs.
Different schemes
Many scammers are adept at identity theft. By obtaining profiles of individuals on the underground web (dark web), they can open bank accounts and take advantage of the line of credit associated with each account.
When we talk to him about a network of scammers, Anthony is at a loss for what to say. He’s not part of a big organization. He sees it as much simpler, more informal and disorganized.
Identity theft is his preferred method.
By opening an account, you can spend the money wherever you want. Even if you don’t have crazy credit, you have $1,000 in margin. You either spend it all, or you shop regularly for a while and pay it back to increase your margin.
Anthony
By cloning cards, he can also withdraw a lot of money at the counter, depending on the limit allowed.
According to our law enforcement sources, when he got a handgun, the price of a gun on the street was around $5,000. However, Anthony refuses to confirm whether he paid that price. “It’s pretty easy to get that amount. You can go to the ATM and withdraw that amount using multiple cards. It depends on the border. »
Several of his cheating friends launder their money. The phenomenon has reached such proportions in Montreal that everyone is “a little bit of a cheat,” the youngster explains. And regardless of status on the street, everyone used that money to buy guns. “A guy I know buys French bulldogs and phones and resells them. He made $20,000, $30,000,” he says.
Our criminal sources believe the amounts are realistic.
Easy money, impunity
Easy money, quick spend. “I go out to restaurants every day, I travel, I buy clothes, jewelry,” says Anthony.
The young man with the short fuse boasts a fortune that makes one jealous. “If anyone comes to piss me off or rob me, I [réplique]. »
According to our checks, Anthony has no criminal record. However, it cannot be ruled out that he is known to the police. He declined to comment on his involvement in crimes other than fraud. He doesn’t bat an eyelid when someone mentions the possibility of criminal charges. “The police aren’t really investigating [pour des petits montants]. The accused scammers are still at large,” he murmurs. He is sure that if he is arrested, he will not be arrested. So he could… cheat further.
There will be no major consequences. It’s not like shooting someone. At twenty keystrokes I might get caught once.
Anthony
His expression remains just as neutral when it is pointed out to him that fraud still has victims. “The bank reimburses everything. I’ve lived without money before, it doesn’t even make me cry [madame] stands there for two weeks without money. »
* Fictional first names
A “playground” without borders
PHOTOMONTAGE THE PRESS
Aware of the scale and importance of street scams, police are taking seriously this new scourge adding fuel to the fire when it comes to gangs, Montreal Police Department assures.
“We see it in the dynamics of armed violence: the old no longer have control over the young,” confirms Francis Renaud, commander of the organized crime unit (DCO) at the SPVM.
Several younger gang-related prospects are also scammers, he confirms. “We understood that it is really important. There is no negligence, we are aware of that. »
However, it is normal and justifiable for arrests related to violent crimes or firearms to take precedence in the current climate.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Francis Renaud, Commander of the Organized Crime Unit (DCO) at the SPVM
If it shoots out, it’s because the fire is caught. Our job is to erase it in the first place.
Francis Renaud, Commander of the Organized Crime Unit (DCO) at the SPVM
There are as many types of fraud as there are scammers, he adds. This complicates the responsible organizations’ task of reducing the indirect consequences that this crime could have on our streets.
Banks are suing for large sums. But sometimes banking institutions prefer to reimburse a customer and suffer a small loss.
“It is the banks that are being robbed. The customer will be refunded. The banks are willing to accept losses,” explains the commander.
The judiciary also feeds this impression of negligence in relation to fraud.
You can arrest someone for fraud 14 times. If he’s still free, he’ll move on, grow big, and devote himself to other types of crime.
Francis Renaud, Commander of the Organized Crime Unit (DCO) at the SPVM
“Cheating is obviously not punished as severely as using a gun on a person. »
Even with a thorough investigation for fraud, it is difficult to prove that the fraudulent money was used to purchase weapons.
Fraud in particular has transcended borders.
“In terms of armed conflict, your playground is the internet and social media,” recalls Francis Renaud.
Although Quebec authorities monitor scammers, they carry out their illegal activities in other provinces. As with auto theft, many in Ontario are arrested.
When the gang forms in front of a computer, we are far from the structure of the classic street gang united in a neighborhood or a building. It still exists, but it’s easier to connect with bandits from Toronto, Vancouver, or even Miami. “The Toronto-Montreal corridor has never been more important than it is now. We really understood that we need to talk to each other,” said Commander Renaud.