88-year-old man wrongly accused of shoplifting

CALGARY- Shoppers Drug Mart is investigating an embarrassing case of mistaken identity.

A Toronto law firm representing the retailer sent a letter demanding $500 for civil damages in a shoplifting case to the wrong person– an 88-year-old man.

When Anthony Yip received the letter Tuesday, he called his daughter-in-law Sue Yip to take him to the bank to pay the bill. Once she read it herself, she realized it was a mistake.

“When I talked to him last night, the fear in his voice, he was scared,” she recalls. “He was going to take this $500 and pay it today, even though he is not guilty of this.”

After learning about the error, Shoppers Drug Mart began an internal investigation.

These types of civil recovery letters are controversial, and as Global News first discovered during an investigation in 2011, they’re commonly sent to shoplifting suspects to pay damages to retail stores.

The letter implies paying upfront will avoid going to civil court. However, the law firm in Ontario can’t sue in Alberta courts and hiring a local firm would cost more than the claim.

Sue Yip wants to warn others who get this letter by mistake not to pay it and plans to file a complaint with the Ontario Law Society.

Global News contacted lawyer Patrick Martin to explain the mistake, but so far has not gotten a response.