London teen charged in online gambling scheme

Blackburn News
 
Wild Casino

It sounds like the plot of a movie, a teenager hacking into cellphone accounts and using stolen credit cards to gamble online.

But according to provincial police, a 17-year-old London boy did just that.

OPP began investigating potential illegal activity targeting legal online gambling sites after being contacted by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in May 2021.

Investigators determined between March and December 2021, fake player accounts were created using forged or altered documents with stolen or fraudulent credit cards. Cellular phone accounts were also hacked in order to acquire new phones, police said.

Officers with the OPP iGaming Investigation Unit searched a London home in February, seizing numerous electronic devices.

A London teen, who cannot be identified because of his age, was arrested on July 5. He has since been charged with 16 offences including fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000, using forged documents, and personation with intent.

The teen has been released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in Toronto court in relation to the charges on August 16.