Five people in Windsor-Essex have been charged with fraud after a 15-month investigation involving a vacation fraud scheme.
The 45 victims across Canada were defrauded out of more than $53,900.
The RCMP and London Police Financial Crime Unit began investigating in August 2014. One of the initial victims is from London.
Police say the group would post ads online advertising cottage rentals in popular vacation spots. Information would be exchanged through email and text message using a false name.
Eventually police say the victims would send payments through an email money transfer to reserve the rental.
The RCMP says the accused did not own or have the right to rent these properties.
Most times the victims would arrive to the cottage packed for a vacation with friends and family only to find they were scammed. It resulted in "large additional costs" for the victims to arrange alternate accommodations.
Four people from Windsor ages 21-26 and one man from Essex County have been charged with fraud over $5,000, laundering the proceeds of crime and possession of the proceeds of crime.
