Man arrested in alleged fraudulent advertising scam spanning over a decade
Posted October 2, 2023 3:00 pm.
Last Updated October 2, 2023 3:02 pm.
Toronto police have arrested a man accused of fraudulently taking advertising funds from businesses for a magazine.
Police say between April 2011 and May 31, 2023, a man allegedly contacted business owners to sell advertisements for ‘Ontario Police Public Safety News,’ a magazine that the accused claimed was widely distributed throughout Ontario.
The man claimed the funds would be donated to free community programs and educational programs for children, but the magazine was not widely distributed and the community programs did not exist.
Victims of the scam believed the man was affiliated with police services due to the name of the magazine.
Azher Hyder, 58, of Oakville, has been arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000. He is scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice on Nov. 10.
The Toronto police Financial Crimes Unit says that police services do not solicit funds from the public for any purpose, and anyone who believes they may have been a victim can call police.
