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Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Elise Amendola, File
July 11, 2023 - 11:03 AM
Kelowna RCMP intercepted $100,000 in flooring purchased with stolen credit cards earlier this week before it was shipped across the country.
The flooring was scheduled for shipment to Quebec, July 10, from stores in Richmond, Salmon Arm and Kelowna, but police seized the product before it got on the road, according to an RCMP news release.
Police were tipped off by Kelowna Floors employee Peter Kowalski who called about a suspicious ID after negotiating a $30,000 purchase on July 5.
Kowalski spoke with others in the industry and discovered the customer "Steve Brown" made similar purchases at other Kelowna stores, including $25,000 at both Express Flooring and Dannburg Flooring.
Police confirmed Brown's identification was a fraud and intercepted a shipment from Express Flooring on July 7, arresting a freight company's driver and passenger.
A total $100,000 in flooring was purchased through the stolen credit card that police were able to stop before leaving for Quebec, RCMP said.
“This is a textbook example why stores should have internal policies as it relates to high value purchases using credit cards, especially over the phone," Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Michael Gauthier said in the news release.
The driver and passenger police arrested were released as police believe they had no knowledge of the fraud. The case remains under investigation and Kelowna RCMP are now working with law enforcement across the country to help.
"Thanks to an observant store owner and cooperation from a few others, we recovered and likely prevented another handful of high value fraudulent purchases. We rely heavily on the professionals in our community to identify when something doesn’t feel right, and in return only ask that they reach out for our help when it doesn’t," Cpl. Gauthier said.
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