A man in his 50s from Oakville, Ont. has been arrested and charged after allegedly selling advertisements and soliciting funds using a fake magazine for more than a decade.
Police allege that between April 2011 and May 2023 an individual solicited funds for a fake publication titled ‘Ontario Police Public Safety News.’
The man would tell business owners that it was widely distributed in Ontario in an effort to sell ad placements, Toronto police said.
He also told victims that their funds would be donated to community and educational programs for children, they alleged.
“The magazine was not widely distributed,” Toronto Police Service (TPS) said in a release.
“The community programs do not exist.”
Due to the name of the magazine, the victims involved believed the accused was affiliated with police services, TPS stated.
On Monday, police announced that 58-year-old Azher Hyder, of Oakville, has been arrested and charged with one count of fraud over $5,000.
He is scheduled to make his first appearance at the Ontario Court of Justice on Nov. 10.
Toronto police are asking anyone who believes they may have been an alleged victim of Hyder to contact them.
The force's financial crimes unit is also reminding the public that police services do not solicit funds for any purpose.
