A man accused of posing as a real estate agent to steal jewelry from an open house has been arrested, according to Toronto police.
The victims, a couple whose identity is being kept private, held an open house in Oakville, Ontario, a small city an hour west of Canada’s Toronto. According to investigators, a 29-year-old man learned about the open house through an online ad. He then allegedly pretended to be an agent, came inside and stole more than $30,000 worth of jewelry from an upstairs bedroom.
A native of the nearby Willow Beach, Ontario, the man has been charged with one count of being unlawfully in a dwelling and one count of theft over $5,000. Local police also believe that his theft was not an isolated incident and are encouraging anyone with more information on the case to provide details.
Over the years, numerous criminals have tried to pose as real estate professionals in order to get access to both buyers and people’s homes. Last month, a California woman was arrested on charges of posing as a real estate agent to swipe tens of thousands of dollars in deposit money from homebuyers.
In January, meanwhile, Benjamin Eitan Ackerman was arrested on suspicion of posing as a real estate agent to steal expensive jewelry, rare art and fine wine from celebrities like Usher and Adam Lambert.
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