A 59-year-old man from London, Ont., accused of scamming Canada Post out of nearly $235,000 has been found guilty on two fraud-related charges.
Allan Joseph Fischer ran an “elaborate and sophisticated” scheme for three years, according to Justice Spenser Nicholson, who told the court Fischer used 48 bogus business accounts to receive Canada Post products, including stamps, on credit. With fake phone numbers, addresses and emails from across Canada, Fischer used the accounts to apply for bulk mail services, allowing him to order up to $7,500 in products on credit without a credit check, the London Free Press reported.
Fischer ordered stamps and pre-paid products to rented mailboxes at various United Parcel Service (UPS) stores in Southwestern Ontario.
A private U.S.-based multinational shipping and receiving company, UPS has more than 360 stores across Canada.
From 2013-16, Canada Post lost $234,763.31 in stamps and other products to Fischer, who failed to pay his dozens of accounts.
Canada Post staff uncovered the suspicious behaviour after being unable to contact the purported account owners at their listed phone numbers. Postal inspectors and Royal Canadian Mounted Police detectives worked on the investigation.
Fischer, who claimed he ran a legitimate centralized business with clients across the country, will be sentenced on Aug. 17.