Red Deer RCMP seek the public’s help in identifying a woman who used stolen identification to get fraudulent loans at several payday loan companies.
The suspect used identification from a purse that was stolen from a parked vehicle in January 2015 in Red Deer.
In June, the victim of that theft began to receive payment demands from a payday loan company in Red Deer and learned that her stolen identification had been used by an unknown woman to take out a loan of almost $1,500.
The same female suspect took out another loan at a cash company in Ontario, producing fake documentation such as pay stubs and banking information at both locations to back up the stolen identification.
Police recommend several steps if you suspect or know that you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, or if you unwittingly provided personal information or financial information:
l Contact your local police force and file a report.
l Contact your bank or financial institution and credit card company.
l Contact the two national credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit reports; Equifax Canada toll free at 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion Canada toll free at 1-877-525-3823.
l Always report identity theft and fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
RCMP ask anyone with information that will help identify this suspect to contact the Red Deer detachment at 403-343-5575. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.8477 or report it online at www.tipsubmit.com.