VANCOUVER / TORONTO –
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF) and CTV News.
For years, Randy Lane was a listed director of a Canadian company accused of defrauding hundreds of thousands of people on the other side of the world.
But Lane says he knew nothing about it.
The B.C. businessman and scientist says his identity was stolen and used to set up a series of companies peddling fraudulent investment schemes, apparently with the goal of helping the real criminals cover their tracks.
“It was extremely stressful to learn that my name is being used to create companies and defraud people of apparently billions of dollars,” Lane said in an interview in his Richmond, B.C., office. “So I immediately needed to clear my name of these activities. I have nothing to do with this.”
Since 2021, six Canadian financial services companies have listed Lane …