Toronto police, LGBTQ2S+ organizations urge victims of theft investigation to come forward

Police and local agencies supporting LGBTQ2S+ communities are asking potential victims of a theft investigation dating back to the fall of 2021 to come forward.

Investigators say they arrested a 20-year-old man in late February after stealing money from victims he met over social media and online dating platforms in the Toronto area.

Between November 19, 2021, to February 23, 2022, he met his victims in person and would eventually attend their homes.

Although the first victim spoke out in November of last year, police believe the accused had been scamming people well before that date.

Police also believe he was targeting victims in the LGBTQ2S+ community when using online chat groups, with some victims being from the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood.

Investigators say the man would ask to use the victims’ cell phone to make an alleged call but instead would send electronic money transfers from the targets’ phones to himself.

He also made purchases using the victims’ credit cards.

On Thursday, Toronto police investigator, Detective Jason Contant, told community members that the total cumulative loss to the victims is a combined total of $30,000 to date.

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He says five people have come forward as of Thursday, adding some targeted have learning and physical disabilities.

“In all cases, the victims were simply looking for some companionship, and instead they were deceived for financial gain,” Contant said.

He said the crime didn’t only leave a financial impact on the victims, but an emotional impact, resulting in some victims feeling embarrassed and refusing to report it to the police.

“No one should feel like that. It’s my job to investigate and find those responsible.”

Additional charges laid as investigation continues

Contant pledged to those who may be victims and hesitant to come forward that their incident will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

As more people share their stories while the investigation continues, Jackson Luu of Toronto faces several more charges, including 11 counts of theft, 13 counts of possession of property obtained by crime and 15 counts of unauthorized use of credit card data.

Contant said he was shocked by how easy it was for the accused to access the victim’s financial information. He also mentioned how not all banks require extra safety measures when making online banking transfers.

He confirmed the investigation is not associated with organized crime, and it doesn’t appear any other suspects are involved.

Curran Stikuts of the 519 Community Centre attended the police update, which took place in the Village.

He expressed the importance of supporting marginalized communities when it comes to reporting crimes to police or community agencies.

Stikuts encouraged other potential victims to come forward, citing that the 519, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ2S+ advocacy, has an anti-violence initiative to help victims make police reports and receive counselling.

Victims of the scam can also remain anonymous by reporting an incident to Crime Stoppers.