Posted:
(2:30 p.m.)
A man faces a number of fraud related charges.
Last night, police were called to the Royal Bank of Canada, located at 6139 Quinpool Road, after staff became suspicious of a customer at the bank. Officers discovered the man in question was in possession of fake identification and was using it an attempt to access an account that did not belong to him. The suspect was arrested at the scene without incident.
The matter was turned over to the HRP/RCMP Integrated Financial Crime Unit and they have laid numerous charges against the suspect. Neither the bank nor the account owner sustained any financial losses.
Fifty-five-year-old Gerard Petit of Montreal currently faces a total of seven fraud related charges consisting of two counts of using forged documents, two counts of causing a person to act on forged documents, one count of identity theft, one count of identity theft to gain advantage and one count of identity theft to cause disadvantage. He was held overnight and will appear in Halifax provincial court today.
Identity theft is a reality and has become more common with advancements in technology. It involves the unauthorized collection and use of personal data, usually for criminal purposes. Essentially, criminals can use your personal information – your name, date of birth, address, social insurance number, credit card information and other banking details – to create a false identity to open bank accounts, secure credit, obtain utilities and services, rent vehicles, equipment or accommodations and even get a job. To learn how to protect yourself, visit http://www.halifax.ca/Police/Programs/fraudprevention.html.