FRAUDSTER JAILED IN DISTURBING CASE

This case is utterly despicable. Individuals are cautioned to discuss their immigration cases and inquiries only with qualified, licensed and registered immigration lawyers in an office setting, not in casual coffee shop or lobby conversations. Beware of those who offer something that sounds too good to be true. Do not fall prey to those who tell you what you want to hear.

Judge jails woman charged with defrauding seniors, immigrants - The Globe and Mail

Judge jails woman charged with defrauding seniors, immigrants

Joshua Rapp Learn


Globe and Mail Update

Published Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 7:10PM EST

A Toronto woman who defrauded seniors, newly arrived immigrants and others of nearly $200,000 over three years was sentenced Monday in Ontario Superior Court to two years imprisonment.
Christina Tse, 38, pleaded guilty to 16 charges, including six counts of fraud over $5,000 and multiple counts of false pretences. The charges were filed between 2007 and 2010. One of her victims was a man awaiting a kidney transplant.
Prosecutor Alexandra Rourke described Ms. Tse as “a consummate and capable mastermind. Her criminal behaviour was repetitive and unrelenting.”
One of Ms. Tse’s methods was to befriend potential victims in the lobbies of different apartment complexes, according to Ms. Rourke. After gaining their trust, she would settle on one of a variety of scams.
In one ploy, she would tell victims she could get good places in Toronto housing if they paid her the first and last month’s rent, despite the fact that she didn’t work in city housing.
In another, she told victims she had inherited $12-million from her father in the Netherlands and needed to borrow money up front to process her claim.
As many of the victims were new to Canada, she also claimed she could get Canadian immigration papers quickly and even hinted about the possibility of getting them green cards for the United States.
“She preyed on particularly vulnerable people,” Justice Ian Nordheimer said before sentencing her.
Among the victims of Ms. Tse’s victims were Alexandra and Michael Barylo, both in their mid-80s. Michael was a labourer for 40 years and lost $22,600. The crimes first came to light when their daughter, Diane Foster, became suspicious after hearing details from her family.
“They didn’t believe me at first,” Ms. Foster said of her family outside the courtroom. “They thought she was a nice lady who was going to get them a job.”
Ms. Tse had claimed she was working with SickKids hospital when Ms. Foster confronted her. “I looked her in the eyes are said ‘I don’t trust you,’ ” Ms. Foster said.
Justice Nordheimer sentenced Ms. Tse to two years imprisonment after reviewing victim impact statements. She had previously served six months for an unrelated count of fraud over $5,000 in 2003.
“In Canada, it is a substantial jail term,” Ms. Rourke said, explaining it would be the same sentence if the fraud totalled millions of dollars. Co-accused Ronald Samuels, who had no previous criminal record, was sentenced to house arrest and three years of probation.
The victims were most concerned with getting back the money they lost was. Justice Nordheimer upheld 14 free-standing restitution orders totalling nearly $200,000 from Ms. Tse.