The RCMP Southern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (SAD CRU) has laid several charges against Calgary residents involving a series of crimes involving credit cards and lottery tickets. According to Mounties, the crimes involved a technique called Manual Entry Transaction Fraud.

Mounties partnered with Raymond RCMP and the Western Canada Lottery Corporation to investigate the crimes which targeted small business convenience stores between December 31, 2023, and February 26 of this year.

Police said that the suspects would go to a store and ask for $5,000 in Sports Select and $1,000 in Keno, which have a maximum sales limit of 24 hours. At that point, the suspects would ask to pay with a credit card and check to see if the credit card terminal would allow for a manual entry.

"If it does, they enter a memorized Mastercard credit card number that does not match the card entered. The transaction will go through as approved, but since the actual credit card is not present at the time of purchase in the machine itself, the bank will (upon notification of the cardholder dispute) reverse the charges and charge back the retailer," police explained.

Because there was a delay in this process, the suspects then realized this and purchased additional prepaid credit cards and gift cards along with scratch-and-win tickets.

"Most retailers have admitted that the transactions seemed unusual but proceeded to sell to the suspect(s) until a call is placed by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation to the retailer to inquire on the payment made on these purchases."

Last month, on March 19, SAD CRU executed a search warrant in southwest Calgary and charged the suspects for offences that occurred in Sundre, Raymond, Lethbridge, Vegreville, as well as Two Hills. 

Calgary residents, 46-year-old Jay Obrador, and 44-year-old Maynard Go Recibio were charged with Fraud Over $5000, Possessing or Trafficking in Credit Card Data, as well as Laundering Proceeds of Crime.

The other suspects who are also Calgary residents; 39-year-old Melody Velasquez, 35-year-old Jessica Nyome Vinje, 29-year-old Angelo Ross Diaz, and 33-year-old Rommel Manansala Togado, all residents of Calgary, were charged with Fraud Over $5000 and Possessing or Trafficking in Credit Card Data.

Obrador will be appearing in the Alberta Court of Justice in Lethbridge on April 24. The five other accused are currently on warrant status.

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