Quebec man found guilty in connection with 56 cases of fraud targeting seniors

The Surete du Quebec, or Quebec Provincial Police patch at a news conference, in Quebec City on February 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

A 34-year-old man was found guilty of 56 counts of fraud that targeted seniors in the province, according to provincial police (SQ).

The SQ said that in December 2023, Jean-François Gagnon from St-Étienne-de-Beauharnois was arrested and taken into custody in Sainte-Calixte, about 90 kilometres north of Montreal. He later appeared in court in Trois-Rivières, where he faced multiple charges.

He pleaded guilty in October 2024 and was sentenced to 50 months in prison.

“Over a span of nine months, 55 vulnerable victims, with an average age of 80, were defrauded of nearly $200,000,” the SQ said in a press release.

According to the police, the fraud took place in several regions of the province, spanning 29 municipalities and involving 26 police forces.

In addition to the prison sentence, Gagnon will also have to provide a DNA sample and is prohibited from communicating with the victims.

The fraud scheme involved calling seniors on their landlines and posing as a representative of a financial institution.

“During the call, the scammer claims to have detected fraudulent activity on the victim’s bank account. To resolve the issue, the victim is instructed to hand over their bank cards and personal identification number (PIN) to the fake representative,” the police said.

An accomplice then visited the victim’s home to collect the cards, which were either left in the mailbox or handed over in person.

The fraudsters then used the stolen cards to withdraw money from bank accounts or make purchases – sometimes both said the SQ.

Additionally, the police confirmed that Kevin Lelièvre, 28, was an accomplice in the case. He will appear in court in June.

Anyone with information about criminal activity or suspicious events can contact the SQ’s Criminal Information Centre at 1-800-659-4264.