2 youths charged with buying cell phones online using fake money

Two young teens are facing a combined 20 charges after using fake money to purchase cellphones online.

Police in Durham Region say between January 2026 and April 2026, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl used fake online accounts to contact at least 15 people using platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. The pair would arrange to meet their victims at different locations across Oshawa to purchase a cell phone. Investigators allege that each transaction was paid for using fake currency.

Police say the fraudulent purchases totalled more than $6,800.

The 17-year-old was arrested on June 21 as part of a separate police investigation, while the 15-year-old was taken into custody on July 5, also during the course of a separate investigation.

The 17-year-old has been charged with two counts each of fraud under $5,000 and uttering counterfeit currency.

The 15-year-old is facing 14 counts of uttering counterfeit currency, fraud over $5,000 and fraud under $5,000.

Police say the 17-year-old was released on an undertaking while the 15-year-old was held for a bail hearing.

The names of the youths cannot be published due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.