Mélissa Gélinas
Published online March 11, 2026, at www.pontiacjournal.com.
OUTAOUAIS – Fraud cases continue to multiply across the Outaouais, particularly in Gatineau, Aylmer, Chelsea and the Pontiac, involving scammers posing as police officers and bank representatives. Since February, the Gatineau Police (SPVG) have opened more than 60 files related to this type of fraud, with most victims being seniors.
The majority of victims reportedly received a private call from someone claiming to be a Gatineau police officer, informing them they had been the victim of identity theft. To “protect” themselves, victims were instructed to place all their bank cards in an envelope so that someone from Canada Post could collect them safely from their home. The caller told them replacement cards would be issued shortly.
In Chelsea, MRC des Collines police arrested two Montreal residents, ages 18 and 20, on February 24 in connection with the fraud investigation. Police believe the suspects may have accomplices operating in various locations across the region and elsewhere in Quebec. The two suspects remain in custody and are expected to appear in court to face several charges.
In the Pontiac, Breckenridge, Luskville and Quyon had six fraud cases reported between February 18 and 21. According to Martin Fournel, sergeant with the Des Collines police, losses are estimated at nearly $30,000.
A victim’s story from Aylmer
“At first, the person identified himself as Sylvain Ladouceur, a police officer with the City of Gatineau, and said he was investigating identity theft,” said a victim from Aylmer. “He told me that someone had gone to my car dealership to apply for financing,” she added. The claims seemed credible to the woman because the caller correctly named her dealership and the make of her vehicle.
The fake officer then asked her to provide the name of her bank so that someone responsible for security could assist her. After several minutes on the phone, the supposed representative told her she would have to hand over all her bank cards and personal identification numbers (PINs) to someone who would come to collect them at her home.
“At the time, I didn’t have time to think and I gave them to the woman who was waiting at my door,” she said. “She took them and left.”
According to the victim, the woman did not show any identification, claiming she worked for Canada Post, and her car was parked farther down the street. Finding the situation unusual, the woman contacted police and learned she had been defrauded. She later received a call from her bank asking whether she had authorized several transactions.
“They made two transfers of $5,000 from my savings account to my chequing account, followed by several withdrawals totalling nearly $5,000,” she said. The necessary reports have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
SPVG advice and prevention
In a recent press release, the SPVG warned that fraudsters can be very convincing and will use various tactics to gain victims’ trust and pressure them to act quickly. Citizens are urged to remain cautious, as scammers can use technology to display any number on a phone’s caller ID — even that of a police station. If someone claiming to be a police officer calls, residents are advised to hang up and dial their local police station directly.
Police also remind the public that an officer will never ask a fraud victim to hand over their bank cards, PIN or increase their credit limit. Instead, victims should contact their financial institution to cancel their cards. (Trans. BP)
