Three individuals in Toronto, Canada, are accused of posing as representatives of a reputable local retailer to deceitfully acquire luxury vehicles with an approximate value of $1.6 million (equivalent to US$1.16 million at current exchange rates). Police say the vehicles were destined for export overseas.
The bust was led by the Halton Regional Police, which operates in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). According to law enforcement, the arrested trio is accused of deceiving dealerships throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario by posing as representatives of a legitimate luxury vehicle retailer.
While the precise details of the fraud have not yet been made clear, police say that when they carried out warrants at a variety of locations throughout the GTA, they recovered equipment used to replicate security features for a variety of secure payment methods.
Read: Man Who Stole Millions Blew Millions On Massive Car Collection, Now He’s Going to Jail
“The sophistication of this particular scam and exceptional quality of the documents they produced enabled the group to carry out similar frauds at other GTA and southern Ontario area dealerships,” police say. “This group attended several dealerships throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) where they fraudulently obtained several high-end vehicles.”
In addition, they recovered more than $1.6 million ($1.16 million USD) in vehicles, including a 2021 Ferrari F8 Spider, a 2020 Lamborghini Urus, a 2023 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, a 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo, a 2017 Mercedes E Class, and a 2021 Dodge Durango.
Authorities allege that the group had plans to export the vehicles, for sale overseas. In addition to working with Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, the Halton Regional Police also worked with the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police, Homeland Security, and the FBI in its investigation.
Enoch Johnson, Ahmad Amiri, and Issac Osunde Iyamu are the three men being charged with possession of property obtained by crime. Police say that people can help prevent fraud when selling a vehicle by being cautious, securing payment before transferring ownership, verifying the identity of the buyer, and being cautious of buyers who offer to buy your vehicle sight unseen.
