Toronto police have arrested a 50-year-old man who allegedly targeted international students from Korea to defraud them.
Police said the man travelled between Niagara Falls, Waterloo, Kingston, Toronto, and Edmonton from Oct. 18, 2022 to Feb. 23, 2023 and went to libraries and educational institutions to befriend students.
He allegedly would tell the students that he was from out of town and had lost his wallet, police said.
The man would reportedly ask for money, telling his victims that he needed it to get home or pay for accommodations.
The suspect allegedly assured his victims that a family member would later deposit funds into their accounts.
Police said the man then issued cheques to the victims with non-sufficient funds.
The suspect, identified as Man Seok Marvin Choi, was arrested on Thursday, police said.
He has been charged with fraud under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and failing to comply with probation.
Investigators have released a photo of the suspect as they believe there may be more victims.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 416-808-5300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
