An extremely active alleged fraudster would have been betrayed by the color of her hair, while the police were able to link her to no less than forty cases of scams committed against vulnerable elderly people.
Bianca Létourneau, 29, from Joliette, is believed to have committed violence between the months of January and March 2023 in numerous municipalities in Quebec, including Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, Saint-Félix-de-Valois, Joliette, Trois-Rivières, L ‘Assomption, Terrebonne, Drummondville and Shawinigan.
The young woman with bright red hair was first arrested in flagrante delicto last March, when she had just defrauded an elderly person in Joliette in the company of two accomplices.
She was arrested, then released on a promise to appear in court on January 10.
This delay allowed investigators to gather the evidence necessary to link the alleged scammer to no less than 41 cases of fraud committed in the space of just three months at the start of 2023.
However, the total number of victims would be 53 and the average age of those cheated is 80 years old, according to the authorities.
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According to our information, it was the red hair that betrayed Bianca Létourneau, since it was this detail that the vast majority of the alleged victims remembered.
With her two alleged accomplices, Bianca Létourneau would have used the “false representative” stratagem to line her pockets.
“This type of fraud consists of calling a senior on their home line pretending to be a representative of a financial institution,” explained Sergeant Éloïse Cossette, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
“During the call, the representative mentions having spotted potential fraud in the victim’s bank account. In order to remedy this situation, the victim must hand over their bank cards as well as the personal identification number (PIN) of their cards to the false representative,” added Sergeant Cossette.
Once the bank cards are in hand, the fraudsters have the opportunity to empty the bank accounts, in addition to making a series of fraudulent purchases.
According to the police, Bianca Létourneau and her two acolytes allegedly amassed no less than $160,000 on the backs of elderly and vulnerable people.
Létourneau now faces 44 counts of fraud. His two alleged accomplices have not yet been arrested, but arrests could take place soon.