A 13 month West Vancouver Police investigation focused on a temporary fireworks stand has resulted in numerous charges against an Indo-Canadian man from Surrey.
Harvinder Singh Sidhu, 20, has been charged in the case of fraudulent withdrawals and purchases totaling over $112,000.
The investigation was launched in December of 2007 when police were alerted by financial institutions to fraudulent cash withdrawals and purchases on credit or debit card accounts of 31 different victims.
Further investigation determined that all victims had made purchases during the 2007 Halloween season at either a temporary fireworks stand in the 1300 block of Marine Drive in West Vancouver or a fireworks stand in the 3500 block of East Hastings Street in Vancouver.
The investigation determined purchases at the fireworks stands were never forwarded to credit or debit card companies for processing.
Investigators concluded credit machines at the premises were functioning solely for the purpose of skimming cardholder information which was then used to manufacture cloned credit and debit cards for use in fraudulent transactions.
The investigation uncovered fraudulent withdrawals and purchases totalling over $112,000.
A report was forwarded to Crown Counsel which subsequently approved 3 separate counts of Fraud and one count of Possession of a Stolen Credit Card against Harvinder Singh Sidhu of Surrey.
Sidhu is scheduled to make his first appearance at North Vancouver Provincial Court March 4, 2009.