KITCHENER -- A Kitchener music store says it lost thousands of dollars in a case of credit card fraud.
The thieves walked away with six electric guitars.
Marcus Wanka with Sherwood Music said the transaction seemed legitimate. Two different people called over the span of a few days, looking to purchase some high-end guitars.
"They said they were building a collection and building a studio and friends in the industry and had an interest in the electrics," Wanka said.
Wanka said they took the credit card information over the phone, including the CVV, a postal code and a drivers licence.
"The card went through no problem," he said. "It was checked out, there were no issues."
The thieves purchased six Gibson electric guitars. Wanka said days later, they found out the credit cards were stolen and they'd provided fake drivers licences.
The company said the stolen items were worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Wanka said they're now responsible for paying the money owed to the credit card companies.
"The merchant is only protected by credit card fraud if someone is there in person entering their four-digit PIN for the credit card," Colin White with the store said.
Sherwood started selling their products online and over the phone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It feels awful," Wanka said. "We're in a position right now where we're not able to take transactions any other way."
Sherwood said some of the items with unique serial numbers are being resold online on sites like eBay and Kijiji.
"We rely on close collaboration with our law enforcement partners to drive the necessary investigations," a Kijiji spokesperson said in an email.
Sherwood said it has contacted police about the situation.
White said they plan to ask more questions when they get new customers in the future.
