Toronto police have laid additional charges against two individuals and are actively searching for a third suspect in connection with a significant credit card fraud scheme that authorities say has been operating since 2016.
Project Deja Vu Investigation Expands
The new developments are part of Project Deja Vu, a long-running investigation by the Toronto Police Service into a sophisticated fraud operation. Investigators allege the scheme involved the large-scale production and use of counterfeit credit cards.
With these latest charges, the total number of individuals implicated in the probe continues to grow. Police have not released the names of the two newly charged individuals, but confirm their cases are now before the courts.
One Suspect Remains at Large
Authorities are still seeking Muhammad Akram, who also goes by the alias Chaudhry Akram. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Police have released his image to the public and are asking for any information regarding his whereabouts.
The investigation, which began nearly a decade ago in 2016, underscores the persistent challenge of organized financial crime in the Greater Toronto Area. Detectives have been piecing together evidence of the alleged operation over several years.
Ongoing Efforts to Combat Financial Crime
The Toronto Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit continues to lead the investigation. The use of the project name "Deja Vu" suggests investigators may be seeing patterns or methods linked to previous fraud cases.
While specific financial losses have not been detailed in this latest update, major credit card fraud schemes typically result in losses amounting to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars for financial institutions and consumers.
Police are urging anyone with information about Muhammad Akram or the alleged fraud scheme to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers anonymously. The public is also reminded to regularly monitor their financial statements for any unauthorized activity.
