Sask. woman’s credit card fraudulently used to buy truck tires, Hanover police say

A pickup truck's tire is seen in this closeup image. (Source: Getty)

Police are reminding the public to frequently check their credit card statements after a Saskatchewan woman’s credit card was used to buy new truck tires from a car dealership in Hanover.

According to a news release, the Hanover Police Service received a report on Feb. 26 from a complainant in Saskatchewan who said her credit card was used earlier in the day to purchase eight new truck tires at a car dealership in Hanover.

Hanover police investigators later determined a male suspect ordered the tires over the phone using the stolen credit card and said he would attend the dealership to complete the transaction later in the week.

In the afternoon of Feb 27, the suspect attended the car dealership and was arrested by plainclothes police officers without incident.

A search warrant was later executed on a U-Haul rental van driven by the suspect at the time of his arrest.

Police say officers recovered eight additional tires that were confirmed to be purchased from a car dealership in Listowel and a second dealership in Elmira with stolen credit cards and fake Ontario driver’s licences.

A 27-year-old man from Toronto was later remanded into custody at his bail hearing and charged with fraud under $5,000, unlawful use of a credit card and possession of property obtain by crime.

This investigation is ongoing as investigators are aware that the accused and others have committed similar crimes in other parts of the province. Police are asking any car dealership or auto centre that has ordered and then sold high valued new truck tires over the phone, only to determine after the fact that they were purchased with a stolen credit card, to contact their local police and reference this case.

The Hanover Police Service is reminding the public that tracking their credit card statement is an important method to detect unlawful purchases. The public is also advised to, if offered by their credit card company, to have a notification sent to their cell phone any time a transaction is completed to help with early detection of credit card fraud.