The suspect involved in several “false representative” fraud cases in the Laval area in recent weeks has surrendered to the authorities.
This is Michael Bouchard, who lives in Laval. According to the Laval Police Service (SPL), the 28-year-old man had no previous convictions.
He also appeared at the Laval courthouse on August 31. “He is charged with fraud of more than $5,000, possession of a credit card and use of information related to a credit card that does not belong to him, and fraud,” said SPL spokeswoman Erika Landry.
Facts
Recall that on August 30, the police appealed to the public to help identify Michael Bouchard. At that time, criminal investigators had identified almost fifteen cases of fraud that had occurred since July 2023, primarily among older people.
The suspect used a ruse in which a first suspect contacted the victims by telephone via their home connection. This person often used the names Émilie and Maude to identify himself.
She then posed as an investigator from a financial institution or the Anti-Fraud Center and claimed that they were victims of bank card fraud.
After gaining the victims’ trust, she asked them to put their cards in an envelope and write their personal identification number (PIN) on the back. They were told that investigator Jérémy Turcotte, a pseudonym used by Mr. Bouchard, would collect the card from their apartment.
Once recovered, the cards were used to commit fraud at nearby stores.