The new Canadian passport is unveiled at an event at the Ottawa International Airport on May 10, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
Two Ontario residents face charges after a Competition Bureau probe found they allegedly misled Canadians into thinking they were dealing directly with the federal government’s passport service.
York Regional Police charged John Jesse Breslin and Phoebe Hui Ting Wong last week with fraud over $5,000 and possessing proceeds of a crime.
A release from the Competition Bureau says the two operated a business under the names Passport Online and Passport Express that allegedly used misleading ads to suggest customers could easily obtain or renew passports online using their services.
The competition watchdog claims the offences took place between 2016 and 2020.
Both individuals also face charges under the Competition Act for deceptive marketing practices.
The charges have been filed at the Ontario Court of Justice but have not been proven.
