The Hawkesbury Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged two individuals following a fraud investigation.
On September 2, the OPP received information from Service de Police Ville de Mercier, Quebec, related to individuals attempting to purchase motor vehicles at local dealerships using fraudulent documents. On September 3, officers arrested two individuals in the town of Hawkesbury.
Veronica Espinal Correa, 41-years-old, of Montreal-Nord, Québec, and Adriana Saintelmy, 30-years-old, of Saint-Laurent, Québec, were charged with the following offences:
- Personation with intent (identity fraud)
- Personation with Intent – intent to obtain property (identity fraud)
- Identity Theft – obtain or possess another person’s identity information
- Forgery – two counts
- Fraud over $5000
Veronica Espinal Correa was held for a bail hearing on Thursday September 3, in L’Orignal.
Adriana Saintelmy was released from custody and will appear in court in L’Orignal on December 2, 2026.
What is auto financing fraud?
Vehicle finance fraud occurs when fraudsters use compromised personal information to create synthetic identities and obtain vehicle financing. Using stolen identities, credit card information, and altered insurance documents, they apply for auto loans through dealerships to fraudulently purchase vehicles.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. If not a victim, you should still report the incident to the CAFC.
Anyone with information regarding this scam is asked to contact the OPP or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
