(RAINY RIVER DISTRICT, ON) - An elderly fraud victim can rest easy now after multiple law enforcement agencies in Europe and North America worked together to intercept a fraudulent money transfer that drained their life savings.

On June 23, 2025, the Rainy River District Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a 911 call from an elderly resident who thought they had just lost a large sum of money.

Investigation revealed the victim had been deceived by a quasi-emergency tech support scam. Offenders, posing as the computer manufacturer’s official tech support, convinced the victim that they had been hacked and installed software on the computer allowing remote access. The offenders continued the scam by putting the victim in contact with fake law enforcement who then provided instructions to move money to a safe account that the offenders had access to. The victim attended a local bank, and wire transferred a five-digit quantity of money into a bank in the UK.

The responding OPP officers notified the OPP Northern Ontario Anti-Rackets Branch and a team member with The Integrated Fraud Awareness and Response Initiative (IFARI) began work to intercept the wire transfer. The IFARI member activated the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) as well as international partner agencies which included banks and foreign law enforcement partners.  

Early intervention meant that the wire transfer was able to be flagged as fraud, and it was intercepted before the offenders could access it. On July 10, 2025, the money returned to the victim.

According to Acting Detective Sergeant Ryan Welsh with the OPP’s IFARI Team, the people committing these crimes need victims to stay silent. This case had a positive outcome because the victim acted quickly and reported the fraud. Minutes count and police must get to the money before it’s gone. This is why victims are frequently instructed not to tell anyone.

What is the Integrated Fraud Awareness and Response Initiative (IFARI)?

The IFARI teams operate within Anti-Rackets Branch (ARB) and OPP Regions. They are recognized leaders in the investigation of complex frauds, corruption and financial crimes. ARB and the Regional IFARI teams provide specialized investigative resources to OPP Regions, detachments, bureaux, Ontario municipal police services and government ministries facing complex financial investigations.