A Toronto man is accused of purporting to be terminally ill to defraud his love interest out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Ontario Provincial Police said that they received a complaint this month from an individual from southwestern Ontario who claimed to have lost about $370,000 in an alleged scam.
Police added that the victim also told them that several items from their residence, including a vehicle, cash and jewelry, were stolen.
An investigation was launched into the allegations and police further learned from the victim that they had been in a relationship with a man who allegedly claimed to be terminally ill and in need of money for medical treatment.
“The individual did not repay the money and then left their shared residence,” the OPP alleged in a news release.
On Wednesday, 37-year-old Christopher Lancop, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with three counts of fraud over $5,000 and four counts of theft over $5,000.
Police said that he remains in custody and will appear in a court in Windsor at a later date.
They are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim or anyone with information about the case to contact investigators at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or https://www.catchcrooks.com.
