The owner of a Winnipeg limousine service is facing a number of charges following a years-long fraud and money laundering investigation into the company.
Police say the financial crimes unit started investigating in May 2019 after getting a tip from a mobile payment processing company that one of their merchants, a local limousine company, may have been processing unauthorized credit card data dating back to 2018.
They say their investigation found an intricate series of fraud and money- laundering offences targeting 12 different victims including independent customers, local and international corporate companies, a travel agency, a local non-profit organization, and several financial institutions.
Police allege customer credit card information was used for fraudulent transactions through a number of techniques, including significantly overcharging customers as well recharging customer’s credit cards without their knowledge or permission.
According to police twenty-three different credit cards were used for more than 91 unauthorized transactions between July 2018 and October 2019, bringing in more than $865,000.
Over the same time period investigators allege roughly $1 million was transferred between bank accounts in an attempt to launder the cash.
In January a 36-year-old man from Winnipeg was charged with 14 fraud and money laundering-related offences.
He has since been released on a promise to appear in court.