Edmonton police have issued Canada-wide arrest warrants for a man and a woman who were allegedly involved in a credit card scam in Alberta, even though both were legitimately employed to sell the cards.
Edmonton police say the pair was arrested earlier this month, but violated release conditions last Sunday when the two were seen at the Vancouver airport, boarding a plane bound for Heathrow Airport in London, England.
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The suspects, both in their 30s, are the focus of an investigation into a large-scale fraud involving several complainants, including financial institutions.
Last October, investigators were told by police in Ontario that both suspects were believed to have connections to Edmonton. Subsequent checks confirmed they lived in the city and were connected to other fraud-related files.
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Searches of two homes and a vehicle in early March led to the seizure of several items: 10,000 credit card applications, more than $20,000 worth of tablets and accessories, identity documents that were in the process of being altered and evidence of seven mailboxes around Alberta that police said were used in the commission of these crimes.
“These two suspects were legitimately employed to sell credit cards,” said Staff Sgt. Brad Pearce with EPS Downtown Division Criminal Investigations Section. “There was no way that citizens could have known this was connected to fraudulent activity. We’re reminding everyone to check their accounts regularly and report suspicious activity to your financial institution.”
Vivek Shailesh Parekh, 32, and Nidhi Nitnaware, 34, have been charged with various fraud-related offences, as well as theft over $5,000 and four counts each of breach of recognizance.
EPS said more charges are pending as the investigation continues.
With files from The Canadian Press
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