Montreal police said on Friday that the Aurora unit of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal is actively tracking a wave of text‑message offers that target local teenagers and direct them to commit criminal acts across the province of Quebec. The alerts, which appear to be posted on various social‑media platforms, contain contracts that ask young recipients to perform offenses ranging from property damage to illicit deliveries.
Investigators discovered the scheme after several adolescents reported receiving messages that outlined payment in exchange for carrying out the tasks. The texts are sent from unregistered numbers and often include instructions and a deadline, prompting the teens to respond quickly. The content of the messages indicates that the organizers are seeking a disposable workforce that can move between neighborhoods without drawing attention.
In response, the Aurora team has begun systematic surveillance of the online networks where the contracts are posted. Officers monitor chat groups, public pages and private channels for patterns that link the offers to specific operators. The unit also collaborates with provincial cyber‑crime specialists to trace the origin of the messages and to identify any repeat offenders.
The police effort comes amid growing concerns that digital recruitment is lowering the barrier for youth involvement in criminal activity. By focusing on the text‑based channel, the SPVM hopes to intervene before a teenager acts on an offer, thereby preventing offenses before they occur. The Aurora unit stresses that any teenager who receives such a message should refrain from responding and report the contact to authorities.