Windsor police, Better Business Bureau, warn of loan scam

Windsor police are warning of yet another scam after a Windsor man was allegedly duped out of nearly $1,300 by an internet financial company.

Paul Soulliere says he gave a company called Arlington Financial $1,250 on July 29  in order to secure a $10,000 loan.

"It was to go to their insurance company in case I hadn't paid them back," said Soulliere, who lives on a disability pension with his common-law girlfriend.

Soulliere said every time he tried to get access to the money from the company, it kept asking for more.

He said he went along with the request from Arlington Financial because he has a bad credit rating and has difficulty getting a loan anywhere else.

But it's illegal for a company to make such a request, explained Deborah Brady, the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Southwestern Ontario.

"It's a common story," Brady said. "People are asked to pay upfront for a loan and then once they agree, the scammer realizes they have a real good prospect on the line."

"They keep raising the amount of fees and insurance until they can't anything more out of that prospect," she said.

Brady says Arlngton Financial has an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau. This is not the first time someone complained about their business practices.

Const. Shane Miles with Windsor police said this is a common type of financial crime.

Scammers prey upon people like Soulliere who need something and are willing to do anything to get it.

Miles says as soon as someone asks for money it should raise a red flag, adding that a simple Google search can usually reveal warnings about scam companies.

CBC News attempted to talk to a representative from the Arlington Financial company. Soulliere was able to reach that person by phone, but the caller on the other end hung up after the connection was made. 

Soulliere is contemplating suing the company but has found the company's listed Kingston, Ont. address is false. He also contacted Windsor Police but was frustrated when investigators told him there was little they could do.

Miles says the company is more than likely operating offshore and it's difficult to investigate these cases.

"We're dealing with cross-jurisdictional issues that are very difficult at best, if ever, to prosecute," Miles said.

But Soulliere said that's not quite good enough for him since he's still out nearly $1,300.

"I'm very highly saddened that someone could just do this to somebody," he said.