Grand Forks RCMP arrested a 34-year-old man in connection with local fraudulent use of credit card information on Dec. 24, when they executed a search warrant at a motel in Grand Forks.
According to a release, officers received information of fraudulent credit card use and began their investigation, which resulted in a search warrant being executed. During the arrest, officers seized various items related to the offence, including blank chip cards, a card reader and lists with the data for credit cards.
“A common fraud that we are seeing in the area is the Card-Not-Present fraud,” said Grand Forks RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Darryl Peppler. “This is where a person will enter a business and make purchases, but instead of producing a credit card, they advise they forgot it and recite the card from memory.”
Peppler said that initial payments are often accepted, but merchants eventually receive chargebacks after the card has been reported stolen. Such cases result in the businesses reimbursing the credit card account, thereby losing the money and the product initially sold.
RCMP are still looking into where such payments may have been accepted in Grand Forks.
In addition to calling the local police detachment, Peppler recommended that individuals who suspect they may be victims of credit card fraud call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website at www.antifraudcentre.ca to learn more about what types of fraud are currently common, what the warning signs are and how to protect your wallet and your business.
The suspect arrested will make his first appearance in court in early 2020.