A man who allegedly racked up $16,000 last summer using a stolen credit card is facing several charges.
100 Mile RCMP said a Langley company notified them in August 2021 of fraudulent use of a stolen credit card at an Interlakes Canco Gas Bar and Store. A clerk observed a 35-year-old man attempting to buy a large amount of pre-paid credit cards with a company credit card. The clerk refused the transaction and the man left.
The next day, however, while police were at the Canco retrieving the CCTV camera footage, the man returned and was arrested, Staff Sgt. Svend Nielsen said in a news release. The stolen credit card and a large amount of pre-paid master cards were found in his possession.
The man was released on an undertaking for a later court date, but this process was discontinued due to the nature of the lengthy investigation. The file was then passed on to a local officer to complete the investigation, which revealed the man had allegedly used the stolen card in multiple jurisdictions, including Langley, Surrey, Williams Lake, Smithers, Mackenzie and Dawson Creek, totalling more than $16,000.
“The local officer thoroughly reviewed the collected information and was able to retrieve video and evidence linking the suspect to various fraudulent activities while working with numerous policing agencies across the province,” Nielsen said.
The file has since been sent to Crown Counsel, seeking approval for 18 counts of using a stolen credit card and one count of fraud over $5,000. As charges have not yet been approved, the name of the man cannot be released at this time.
“100 Mile House RCMP want to remind the public of a simple rule – if it’s suspicious to you, it’s suspicious to us,” Nielsen said. “Events such as this, where company cards are used to purchase items which the card clearly states cannot be used for those purchases, should be questioned by the people dealing with those individuals and transactions should be stopped if safe to do so.
“In this case, the employee recognized something afoul and stopped the action from occurring, then contacted the owner. We appreciate the actions of the employee in this case, and acknowledge that as well.”
The investigation is ongoing.
kelly.sinoski@100milefreepress.net
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