Two York Region residents are facing charges for allegedly operating websites that misled Canadians into believing they were dealing directly with the federal government for expedited passport services.

The Competition Bureau says John Jesse Breslin and Phoebe Hui Ting Wong were charged on July 22 under the Competition Act with promoting a service through false or misleading representations. They also face charges of fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime.

Investigators allege the pair operated under the names Passport Online and Passport Express between 2016 and 2020. The websites allegedly created the impression that the businesses were connected to the Government of Canada and could provide faster passport services.

Breslin is alleged to have owned the company and acted as its main decision-maker, while Wong is described as a manager. The investigation was conducted with assistance from Toronto police and information from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Better Business Bureau.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

The post Two York Region Residents Charged in Alleged Passport Website Scam appeared first on Canadian Fraud News Inc. | Fraud related news | Fraud in Canada.

Originally published on Canadian Fraud News.