A Competition Bureau investigation has resulted in multiple criminal charges laid before the Ontario Court of Justice against John Jesse Breslin and Phoebe Hui Ting Wong of Ontario. They are alleged to have used misleading representations to suggest that Canadians could quickly and easily obtain or renew Canadian passports online.
The pair operated a business under the names Passport Online and Passport Express, using a website and online advertisements that allegedly misled Canadians into believing they were dealing directly with the Government of Canada for expedited passport services, when this was not the case.
Mr. Breslin, the owner and main decision-maker of the company, and Ms. Wong, a manager at the company, have both been charged under the deceptive marketing provisions of the Competition Act for promoting the service using false or misleading representations. In addition, both individuals face charges under the Criminal Code for fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime in connection with the scam.
The Bureau alleges that these offences took place between 2016 and 2020.
The investigation was conducted with assistance from the Toronto Police Service and included information obtained from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Better Business Bureau.
Since the matter involves charges and not convictions, there has been no determination of wrongdoing at this stage.
