Firewood fraud: Eastern Ontario man accused of leaving buyers out in the cold
Photo by Andreas Pajuvirta on Unsplash.
Ontario Provincial Police have laid more than a dozen fraud-related charges against an eastern Ontario man, accused of taking money for firewood and never delivering.
OPP had previously warned the public about a potential fraud involving online ads on platforms like Facebook offering firewood for sale.
Police allege the accused would request a deposit by e-transfer, but never deliver the firewood and would not respond or be unreachable by buyers.
An investigation led to the arrest of a 47-year-old man.
Cory Baptiste, of North Algona Wilberforce, is facing 11 counts of fraud under $5,000 and 11 counts of obtaining by false pretence. He remains in custody.
Police say if you or someone you know may have been a victim, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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