Toronto Police Warn of ‘Black Money Scam’ After Fraud, Robbery Arrest

Counterfeit and Canadian currency are pictured in an undated photo. Courtesy of Toronto Police Service

Toronto police are warning of a scam involving fake money following the arrest of a man suspected of perpetrating the scam.

It’s known as the “black money scam” or “wash wash scam.” Police say scammers present victims with large quantities of banknote-sized black or white pieces of paper that they tell the victims are real currency concealed by dye that can be washed away using a solution, according to a Toronto Police Service (TPS) news release written by Con. Laura Brabant and issued on Dec. 29.

Police say they then try to convince victims that “if they buy a special solvent from the seller, the solvent will remove the dye on the paper and they will become real bills.”

“The Toronto Police Service is asking the public to be aware of this fraudulent scam, and remember, that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Brabant said in the news release.

Police arrested Hallie Ndorley, a 48-year-old Toronto-area man, on Dec. 28 on six charges that included robbery with a firearm and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, along with possession of counterfeit money.

Police said that during the Wednesday arrest they located a large amount of Canadian currency, a large cache of what they believed to be counterfeit money, and “black and white paper that is believed to be used in currency scams.”

Ndorley was scheduled to appear in court in Toronto on the morning of Dec. 29.

Other common scams the Toronto police warn of include the “Grandparent or Emergency” scam. A scammer calls and pretends to be a family member in need of urgent financial help.

Another is the Advanced Fee Loan scam. Scammers call people, saying they can offer a loan no matter the credit history, but they require a fee upfront. There’s also the Secret Shopper scam, where scammers offer a job to be a mystery shopper in stores and make it sound lucrative, yet require upfront money for training and certification.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reports that about $421 million has been lost to fraud this year. That’s up from about $384 million last year.