Police lay charges over fraud operation
The Calgary Police Service has charged a man in relation to a credit card and identification counterfeiting operation in the city’s southeast.
After a month long investigation, the Economic Crimes Unit Fraud Team executed a search warrant on Thursday, March 26, 2015, in the 0-100 block of Mahogany Heath S.E. Inside the residence, police found:
- Bundles of blank credit cards
- Bundles of blank identification cards
- Electronic scanning devices
- An electronic card printer
- Counterfeit credit cards
- Counterfeit vehicle registrations
- An electronic device used to roll back vehicle odometers
- A small amount of drugs
It is believed that the items seized during the search were being used to produce fraudulent credit cards and identifications, which were then used in the commission of other crimes.
Andriy Volodymryrovich PLYUSNIN, 28, of Calgary, is charged with:
- Three counts of fraud under $5,000
- Two counts of possession of credit card data
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance
- One count of possession of a counterfeit credit card
- One count of possession of manufacturing equipment
- One count of possession of government seals
- One count of possession of stolen property
The arrest comes at the end of Fraud Prevention Month when police agencies, government departments, consumer protection interest groups, and businesses come together for an annual awareness campaign on the most common frauds in Alberta.
Police are reminding Calgarians that it is important to protect themselves from fraud. Simple steps like reviewing credit card statements closely and checking credit reports through Equifax or TransUnion annually can go a long way towards preventing credit card fraud and identity theft.