Hamilton man accused of selling fake concert tickets and cottage rentals

Hamilton police say a serial scammer has been back at it again, defrauding victims online.

This time, Hamilton police accuse 27 year old Jacob Miranda of selling fake concert tickets and accepting rental deposits on cottages that aren’t his.

Police say Miranda was using dating websites like Plenty of Fish and to lure people in.

“They entice you and sell you the tickets. You send and e-transfer and maybe you get some paper tickets, maybe you don’t. Most times your money is just gone.” Det. Sgt. Greg Doerr, Hamilton police.

It’s alleged that Miranda defrauded people who thought they were buying Drake concert tickets, or renting a cottage in Muskoka. Police say he was stealing cottage photos and descriptions from websites and claiming them as his own. Police saying some people sending hundreds of dollars.

The fraud reports against Miranda started coming in this past December and they keep coming. Police say two more people came forward Friday.

Miranda is no stranger to fraud. Criminal records at John Sopinka courthouse show that back in 2015 he was sentenced to 93 days in jail for fraud and his fraud convictions date back as early as 2010.

Police seized Miranda’s computers last week and arrested him Thursday on identity fraud, fraud under $500 and three counts of failing to comply with probation.

Members of the Hamilton police fraud branch say never transfer money online to someone you’ve never met and if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.