Fraud Bust in Canada

October 25, 2007
High-tech crooks bustedBy ROB NAY, SUN MEDIA
Sgt. Larry Levasseur with evidence in high-tech fraud case. (ROB NAY/ SUN MEDIA)
High-tech criminals hit a road bump last weekend when police halted a crew of alleged bank card fraudsters.
Four suspects were arrested Saturday in Winnipeg with about 140 white plastic cards containing stolen bank information, said police.
"All of these cards represent real people," said Sgt. Larry Levasseur, of the Winnipeg police commercial crime unit.
Late last Friday, Winnipeg police received a tip from the Quebec provincial police service that suspects under investigation in Montreal were travelling to Winnipeg.
Police contacted banks in Winnipeg and worked with them to apprehend the suspects in action on Saturday, said Levasseur.
Using white plastic cards with stolen bank card information, along with stolen PIN numbers, the suspects only had time to make use of about 12 cards at bank ATMs before cops caught them in the act, said Levasseur.
In total, more that $11,000 was taken from people's accounts. Levasseur said the amount could have climbed above $100,000 if police hadn't stepped in.
It's believed the suspects may have travelled throughout Canada, possibly committing a similar scheme in Edmonton, said Levasseur.
Many of the suspects, who have been living in Montreal, hail from Eastern Europe, he said.
They are believed to have come to Winnipeg in March to set up skimming devices and small cameras to capture people's bank card information and PIN numbers, which they then stored.
The suspects targeted mainly Royal Banks, said Levasseur.
Liz Redston, a spokeswoman for Royal Bank, said it now has in place "anti-skimming fraud detection devices" on all its ATMs.
"All banks are working diligently on these (fraud) issues," said Redston. Facing charges of fraud and other offences are Gheorgh Capra, 46, Paun Chisar, 46, Christian Iacob, 23, and Tatiana Nicosina, 28, all of Montreal.