Mississauga man, woman arrested for $250K romance scam: Toronto police
CBC
A 36-year-old man and 42-year-old woman from Mississauga have been arrested after an investigation into a romance scam, prompting Toronto police to warn residents to be wary of online relationships and to think twice before sending money.
It’s alleged that the two used an alias on dating apps to approach victims across Canada and the U.S., said a media release by Toronto police Friday.
They said the accused individuals pretended to be a “successful businessman" in the Greater Toronto Area and would persuade victims to loan large sums of money to assist with the business.
Once money was sent, all communication was cut with victims and funds were used for personal gain, said police.
Investigators believe the man and woman scammed victims out of $250,000 and that there may be more victims, said Toronto police on social media.
The man is facing two charges, including fraud exceeding $5,000, and the woman with one charge of possession of property obtained through crime exceeding $5,000. The two accused are due to be in court on March 9.
The arrests are a timely reminder that romance scams increase in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, said police.
“Romance scams are not about poor judgment. They are highly organized, deliberate frauds that rely on social engineering and play on emotion,” they said.
Toronto police urged residents to be mindful of the following signs in a potential scam relationship:
Anyone with information or experiences of their own are encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Canadians lost nearly $63 million in 2025 alone to relationship scams, said Jeff Horncastle, outreach officer with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
There’s potential for that number to be a lot bigger, he said, as the organization believes only five to 10 per cent of victims report their cases to the anti-fraud centre — in large part due to shame and stigma around fraud.
“People are just ashamed to discuss what happened,” he said. “In some cases they don’t want to report unless it's guaranteed that they get their money back.”
Horncastle encourages anyone who believes they’ve been a victim of fraud to reach out to local law enforcement as well as the anti-fraud centre.
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