Employment Opportunity Scam Nets Jail Term

Toronto, February 26, 2010 — The Competition Bureau announced today that Olufemi Olutunde has been sentenced to 12 months in jail for his part in an employment opportunity scam involving counterfeit cheques.

The scam targeted Canadian residents who applied for employment positions through local newspapers or online. After being hired, victims were provided with cheques and instructed to deposit them, then withdraw cash and wire it to individuals through Western Union Financial Services, an international money transfer service.

The majority of the victims were led to believe they were assessing the customer service provided by the money transfer outlet while acting as secret shoppers.

A variation of this scheme involved victims believing that they were hired to act as payment processors for a fictitious company located abroad. Employment duties involved accepting payments on behalf of the company from alleged customers and wiring money as instructed.

All cheques were subsequently identified as counterfeit and the victims were left liable to their banks for the money withdrawn from their accounts. Victims reported losses ranging from $1,900 to $18,000. In addition to the sentence, the Ontario Superior Court ordered restitution of $23,000 to be paid to 14 victims of the scam who assisted in the investigation.

Olutunde, 36, of Brampton, Ontario, pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada. He also admitted to picking up approximately $460,000 in transfers at Western Union outlets during an 8–month period under aliases supported by false identification documents.

Following receipt of a significant number of complaints, the Bureau launched an investigation on April 2, 2008. The investigation led to the search of Olutunde's residence and his arrest on September 9, 2008.

The Bureau's investigation has led to further arrests, with three other individuals currently before the Ontario courts.

During its investigation, the Bureau was assisted by the Toronto Strategic Partnership, which is focussed on combatting cross–border mass marketing fraud. The Partnership consists of the Competition Bureau, the Toronto Police Service Mass Marketing Fraud Unit, the OPP Anti–Rackets Branch, the RCMP–GTA Commercial Crime Section, the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services, the Canadian Anti–fraud Centre, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.K. Office of Fair Trading.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

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