MO-4546

The appellant was the victim of fraud, losing a large amount of money when he transferred Bitcoin to another individual under false pretences. The police conducted an investigation but did not have enough information to proceed with criminal charges. The appellant received an occurrence report under the Act with an individual’s information withheld under section 14(1) (personal privacy). He appealed the police’s access decision, stating that he required this information to recover the lost money.
In this order, the adjudicator finds that the information is exempt from disclosure under section 38(b) (personal privacy, with the report containing the appellant’s personal information). He finds that the extent, if any, of the individual’s involvement in the crime is not known, favouring withholding the information. Additionally, he finds that the appellant has not adequately explained how the information at issue would assist with recovering the lost money. He upholds the police’s decision.