A 28-year-old Quebec man has been convicted of defrauding seniors of tens of thousands of dollars.
On February 28, 2024, the Saanich Police Major Crime Unit began investigating two similar cases of fraud targeting seniors. In both instances the victims were contacted by someone posing as a family member claiming they had been arrested and needed bail money. Once the victim agreed to pay, a young woman posing as a bail bondsperson came to their home and collected the money.
Detectives were able to quickly identify a suspect thanks to information provided by the victims. On February 29, 2024, with the assistance of the Richmond RCMP, two individuals, a male and female, were arrested at the Vancouver International Airport as they prepared to board a flight to Quebec.
Once in custody, detectives discovered that the two suspects were also responsible for two similar frauds that had recently occurred in the Nanaimo area. In total, the pair had defrauded four Vancouver Island seniors of over $43-thousand dollars.
Karim Haddouche and Kelyanne Gagne, were each charged with four counts of fraud over $5-thousand dollars as a result of this investigation. On September 16, 2025, Karim Haddouche plead guilty to all four counts of fraud he faced. As part of his sentencing decision, he was required to repay his victims in full. Those funds are now in the process of being returned to the victims.
Kelyanne Gagne is scheduled to appear in court on September 29, 2025.
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“Scams targeting seniors are alarmingly common, with millions of dollars lost each year and only a small fraction recovered and returned to victims. With this case, knowing that the funds are being returned is a great feeling. To the public, if you receive an unsolicited call pressuring you for money, take a breath and think before you act. Checking in with someone you trust could prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud.” Det. Cst. Misha Smirnov, Subject Matter Expert
For more information on fraud prevention please visit the Financial Crimes section of our website, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
File #24-3637