How organized crime has mortgaged or sold at least 30 Toronto homes without owners' knowledge

[gargamon]

Wow. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/organized-crime-groups-behind-gta-home-sales-mortgages-without-owners-knowledge-1.6719978?cmp=rss

 

A year ago, Melissa Walsh says police assured her family it only happened to them. Fraudsters nearly sold her great uncle's east end Toronto home without the family's knowledge.

"We were told to move on, get over it," she said. 

But earlier this month a Toronto police press release revealed another case where scammers successfully sold a house before the real homeowners found out what happened. 

And now it turns out those two cases are likely just the tip of the iceberg. 

CBC Toronto has learned that a handful of organized crime groups are behind these real-estate frauds — in which at least 30 homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have either been sold or mortgaged without the real owners' knowledge. Those revelations come from a private investigation firm working for a title insurance company to try and get to the bottom of the scams, which are costing insurers millions in claims.