Fraudulent credit card use leads to arrest

Kelowna

2023-10-13 13:25 PDT

File # 2023-56775

On September 22, 2023, the victim reported that a credit card, which he had disposed of two years earlier, had recently been used to fraudulently purchase thousands of dollars in merchandise.

The West Kelowna RCMP were alerted and initiated an investigation, with the assistance of the store's Loss Prevention Officer who had compiled a month's worth of surveillance evidence, which proved instrumental in identifying the suspect.

Officers executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence in Peachland. This operation led to the recovery of thousands of dollars in merchandise, obtained through fraudulent use of the credit card. The female suspect was subsequently arrested, and the RCMP has recommended 18 criminal charges. These charges include fraud and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The suspect is scheduled to make her first court appearance in January 2024.

"The victim promptly reported the fraudulent use of a credit card he had disposed of, allowing our members to swiftly identify the suspect, effect the arrest, and return the stolen property to the store," said Cst. Mike Della-Paolera, Media Relations Officer with the Kelowna RCMP.

Property that was recovered and returned to Home Depot