Oakville Man, 31, Wanted by Durham Police in SIM-Swap Fraud Investigation

Durham Regional Police say a 31-year-old Oakville man is wanted on an arrest warrant in connection with a SIM card swap fraud investigation. Police announced the warrant in a media release dated Oct. 29, 2026.

Jessan Vernet-Fort, 31, of Oakville, is wanted on the following counts, according to police:

• Fraud over $5,000 (one count)
• Mischief/tampering with computer data (one count)
• Unauthorized use of a computer to obtain computer service (one count)
• Intercepting private communication (one count)
• Unauthorized use of credit card data (two counts)

Police said Vernet-Fort is known to have ties to Ontario and Quebec. The police service released his photo with its appeal.

How the investigation began

Members of the Durham Regional Police Service Financial Crimes Unit started investigating in October 2025, police said, after a victim's cellphone unexpectedly went into SOS mode and lost its connection to the cellular network. When the victim contacted their service provider, they learned they had been targeted in a SIM-swap fraud.

Police explained that a SIM swap happens when a fraudster takes control of someone's cellphone number by moving it to a different SIM card.

In this case, investigators allege the victim's identity and cellphone number were used to get around two-factor authentication and make fraudulent purchases with the victim's credit card information.

Police said they have identified the man and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Contact police

Anyone with information about where Vernet-Fort may be is asked to contact D/Cst. Kane of the Financial Crimes Unit at 905-579-1520 ext. 5371.