• Durham Regional Police have laid three more charges against Salvatore Malandrino, 41, of Marmora, Ont.: one count of fraud over $5,000 and two counts of making a false statement to procure a loan.
  • By DII's tally of the two charge lists, the total is now 13 counts. Police have not stated a total.
  • The initial release said five victims lost more than $1 million. Police have not said how many new victims there are or what they lost.
  • Police say victims met the accused in person, not through dating apps. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Durham Regional Police have charged Salvatore Malandrino with three additional offences in an alleged romance fraud involving more than $1 million, CBC reported on 19 October. Police say more alleged victims came forward after a 3 September press conference, according to Quinte News and Durham Radio News.

The new counts are one of fraud over $5,000 and two of making a false statement to procure a loan. Malandrino remains in custody, police said. Investigators believe there may be more victims.

The DII Take

This is not a dating-app case, and DII is not presenting it as one. Its relevance is the pattern: trust built over years, then monetised. A public press conference produced more complainants within weeks, which suggests under-reporting is the real problem. Platforms that sell safety should note how much of this fraud happens where they cannot see it.

An in-person scheme with growing charges

According to police, the accused met victims face to face, through his dog training business Friendly K9, at local gyms and in other social and professional settings, rather than on dating apps. The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) release of 3 September alleges that he won their trust through emotional connections and false claims about his finances and business ventures, then took money presented as investments, loans or help with personal emergencies.

The original charges were five counts of fraud over $5,000, laundering proceeds of crime, possession of proceeds obtained by crime, two counts of failing to comply with a release order, and uttering a forged document. Police said he allegedly ran several relationships at once, sometimes using money from one victim to pay another. The DRPS homepage lists a 19 October update headed "UPDATE #1". Details of the new loan charges have not been made public.

What to watch

Watch for a victim count and loss figure, and for any further charges. Police quoted by CBC said: "Many victims of romance fraud are reluctant to report what has happened to them". The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre believes only 5 to 10% of victims report, largely due to shame and stigma. Its 2024 data lists 1,172 romance-fraud reports and $58.4M in reported losses.

  • Durham Regional Police's additional charges against Salvatore Malandrino followed a press conference, suggesting that public disclosure can surface unreported victims.
  • Operators should treat romance fraud as a trust issue that extends beyond their own platforms, since police say these victims met the accused in person.

Sources: Male Arrested After Romance Fraud Investigation (Durham Regional Police Service); DRPS homepage, Update #1 listing, 19 October 2026 (Durham Regional Police Service); Fraud Prevention Month 2025 (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre); Man faces new charges in $1M romance fraud investigation after more victims step forward (CBC News via Yahoo News Canada); Additional charges laid in million dollar romance fraud investigation (Quinte News); More romance scam victims come forward following Durham police fraud investigation (Durham Radio News); Mississauga man, woman arrested for $250K romance scam (CBC News)