Using stolen or forged identification to make big ticket purchases isn’t a new scam, but it appears to work often enough to keep businesses on their toes and investigators busy.
Colten Kimmy, the general manager at Wetaskiwin Motorsports in central Alberta, said he’s noticed an uptick in I.D. fraud at his business.
Just days before Christmas, the business managed to stop a would-be fraudster in his tracks.
On Dec. 19, Kimmy received a phone call from a man who said he said was looking to buy a high-end Ski-Doo snowmobile but was unable to come to the central Alberta store to make the purchase in-person.
“The guy was claiming he was living here for the past five years, working for a company in Edmonton, and just had an Ontario I.D. still,” Kimmy said.
Kimmy says they received photos of the man’s identification and proof of employment.
Those raised some red flags.
Upon closer inspection, Kimmy said there were discrepancies between the documents and they appeared to be forged.
When a financing request was submitted, one lender thought the applicant could be fraudulent, but another lender approved the application automatically.
Kimmy then contacted the RCMP, but because the man was not physically present, police weren’t able to confirm if this was fraud or not.
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Later that day, the man did successfully make a purchase from a different business north of Edmonton.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent certain he was a fraudster. But we’re getting there. And we’re like, maybe if we can get him in-person, we can verify if he’s an actual real person, or if he’s a fraudster,” Kimmy said.
So, Wetaskiwin Motorsports asked the suspect to come to the store. The man accepted, and showed up late in the day on Saturday, Dec. 20.
Kimmy and his colleague engaged the man in conversation, and when they determined that he was likely fraudulent, called RCMP again.
“Through that really sharp investigation by the employee, and setting up the time, he was able to facilitate the RCMP being at the business at that exact time,” said Cpl. Troy Savnikoff with the Alberta RCMP.
Mounties then arrested the suspect.
Savnikoff reminds people to be aware of both your physical I.D. and your online behaviours.
“Identity theft is on the rise in Canada and it takes shape in many different forms.”
Some of the consequences of stolen I.D. being used include victims being held responsible for loans that had been taken out in their names, dealerships being unable to sell vehicles that have liens placed on them, and legitimate owners having their vehicles repossessed.
Kimmy said when I.D. fraud does happen, there is very little consequence to his business — his concern is for the victims whose credit becomes compromised by such large transactions.
“I think that a better community starts with the individuals making a difference,” Kimmy says.
“It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant the event is, I think if you always try to do your best and stick up for everyone.
“I think eventually — hopefully — these fraudsters will be put to an end.”
Liam Richardson, 20, from Ontario, has been charged with two counts of identity fraud, misuse of credit card, traffic of forged documents, and possession of forged documents.
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