Posted:
(10:05 a.m.)
The HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit has laid an additional 53 charges against a man in connection with a pre-paid credit card scam.
After noticing an increase in scams involving pre-paid credit cards, investigators arrested a 19-year-old Halifax man on March 24 and laid three fraud-related charges against him. The suspect was subsequently released from custody pending his court appearance. The investigation continued and the same man was found to be tied to an additional 10 fraud-related investigations involving stolen credit card data used to purchase pre-paid credit cards.
Yesterday, investigators arrested 19-year-old Curtis Jay Fountain of Halifax without incident. He was held in custody overnight and will appear in Halifax Provincial Court later today, facing 56 fraud-related charges.
Investigators would like to remind business owners and clerks to be diligent about gift card or pre-paid credit card purchases. Specifically,
- Be wary of a customer who is overly helpful or knowledgeable about manual override procedures involving point of sale transactions, especially when it involves a significant purchase.
- Be diligent in confirming that a credit card is valid and train your staff appropriately.
- When in doubt, contact the credit card issuers to confirm the validity of the card.
- Ask for ID when in doubt and be mindful that fraudsters often carry counterfeit ID which may not reflect their real names.
- If you do not feel confident about the validity of a credit card, refuse to process the transaction.
- Be aware that you may be liable for losses incurred when a manual override is used.
The HRP/RCMP Financial Crime Unit reminds business owners of the importance of being diligent when processing transactions involving credit cards. Contact police immediately if you become aware of fraudulent credit card use.