Guelph Police are asking local businesses to be on alert after an attempted fraud in which a suspect reportedly tried to order expensive merchandise over the phone.
A local business lodged a complaint with the Guelph Police Service Fraud Unit on Dec. 1, alleging someone tried to order an item valued at around $7,000 over the phone.
The suspect reportedly provided five credit card numbers, and requested the order be delivered to a Toronto address.
Guelph Police Sgt. Doug Pflug explains, "At the time the clerks fielded the call, they asked for the credit card number. That number was declined. Two other numbers were given and that was declined as well which alerted them that this possibly was a fraud."
According to the business, they later learned from their supplier that similar orders had been placed at other Ontario businesses for the same item, by a male using the same name.
Police say the same situation also occurred in November, and several times in late 2009 and early 2010. The credit card numbers given all belonged to U.S. residents.
Stephanie Smith works at Pond's Foto Source. She has just held a meeting with staff to put them on alert for credit card fraud and people who appear to be in a big hurry, who are not asking questions like most people who are buying a new camera.
She says "The sale goes through just fine through the machine. The signature on the back is on there. We take the card and a month or two later we get a notice from the credit card company that it's a stolen card."
Police are reminding businesses to use caution with large orders placed by phone, and are recommending the credit card number, expiry date and name of the financial institution, as well as the name, address and phone number of the individual ordering are obtained.
Pflug says "We wanted to get out to the public that this type of thing is going on and with credit card fraud all variables are out there right now."
Any business that believes this may have happened to them is being asked to contact Guelph Police.
