Kijiji sellers scammed out of $25K, Whitby man charged

A 30-year-old man is facing several charges after he allegedly scammed multiple victims out of more than $25,000.

Police say a man targeted people who were selling diamond rings or loose diamonds on the popular buying and selling website, Kijiji. They say the thief claimed to be an employee of Morgan Stanley and arranged to meet the victims in public locations to ensure the purchases were “safe.”

The scammer would then hand over a certified cheque in exchange for the diamonds, and then leave using public transit. The cheques were later deemed to be fraudulent.

The thief used a number of aliases including Rich Thompson, Alex Stanford, Cameron Woods, and Albert August. Police say the thefts happened between October 2018 and February 2019.

On May 2, Michael Morris was arrested after officers executed a search warrant at his Whitby home.

He is facing 11 charges including fraud over $5,000, using forged documents and possession of counterfeit money.

Investigators believe there may be more victims. Anyone with more information that could help police with the investigation is asked to contact Det. Cst. Mike Tidball at 905-825-4747, ext. 8743.