Date: Tue Sep 27 14:13:28 2005
Subject: PA/MRU #05-302  ILLEGAL TELEMARKETING SCHEME 
From: Robert Palmer

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             CITYBEAT - CITY OF CALGARY PRESS RELEASE
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CALGARY POLICE SERVICE NEWS RELEASE

The Alberta Partnership Against Cross-Border Fraud, using a
task force consisting of members of the Calgary Police
Service, RCMP, Alberta Government Services and the
Competition Bureau, executed search warrants Monday in
Calgary and Toronto in connection with a telemarketing fraud
investigation. 

In Calgary, members of the Calgary Police Service executed
warrants on American Getaway Vacations Inc. and Credence
Travel Processing Inc., located at Suite 408 - 8989 Macleod
Trail in Calgary. A total of 11 individuals were detained,
interviewed and released. Charges are pending. Twenty-five
computers were seized and will undergo forensic examination. 

The task force is investigating allegations that these
companies, representing themselves as Centurion Financial
Services, Integra Financial Services and Oxford Financial
Services, have been conducting illegal telemarketing
activities since August 2004.

The alleged telemarketing scheme targeted consumers in the
U.S. and allegedly led them to believe that they could
receive a pre-approved credit card with a $2,000 (U.S.) limit
for a fee of $249 (U.S.). Consumers did not receive a credit
card, but rather an application for prepaid credit cards,
brochures, coupons, or nothing at all. The complainants
indicated that once they agreed to purchase the credit card,
the telemarketer obtained two pieces of identification and
banking information including a chequing account number. The
consumer's bank account was then debited for $249 (U.S.).

Information indicates that the targeted consumers had
recently applied for a major credit card and had been
declined. The companies appeared to have personal information
belonging to the targeted consumers such as social security
numbers, addresses, cell phone numbers and dates of birth, as
well as knowledge of the fact that they had recently been
declined for a major credit card.

While most of the evidence obtained to date indicates that
the scheme targeted U.S. citizens only, recent information
indicates there may also be Canadian victims. 

The Alberta Partnership Against Cross-Border Fraud is a bi
-national partnership of law enforcement agencies working in
cooperation with one another to more effectively identify,
prevent, investigate, combat and control deceptive marketing
practices and/or fraudulent criminal activities originating
from Alberta or impacting on Alberta. The partnership
agencies include Alberta Government Services, Calgary Police
Service, Competition Bureau, Edmonton Police Service, Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, United States Federal Trade
Commission and United States Postal Inspection Service.

RELEASED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS/MEDIA RELATIONS UNIT ON BEHALF
OF THE COMMERCIAL CRIME UNIT. 

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Public Email Contact: 

    cps@calgarypolice.ca

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