TTC dismisses 73 people over alleged multimillion-dollar benefits fraud scheme

Toronto's public transit provider says it has dismissed 73 peoplein connection with what it describes as a multimillion-dollar benefits fraud scheme.

The Toronto Transit Commission says the dismissals are directly related to a criminal investigation that got underway in 2015.

• TTC fires 12 in connection with benefits scam, 600 more being investigated

• TTC fires 5 employees for allegedly claiming fraudulent benefits

That July, police charged the owner of health products and services provider Healthy Fit for allegedly issuing receipts for inflated or non-existent claims.

The TTC alleges that employees would submit the fraudulentreceipts and then share the proceeds of the benefits payout with the owner of Healthy Fit.

TTC Spokesman Brad Ross says the organization expects that moreemployees will be let go as the investigation continues, adding no past or present staff is facing criminal charges.

He says the scam was a multi-million-dollar effort and says theTTC saw a $5 million reduction in benefits claims from 2015 to 2016, but added the decrease could not all necessarily be attributed tothe alleged fraud.