Cards branded with "Flexiti", a legitimate company, are being used to fraudulently purchase high-end electronics in Nanaimo, across Vancouver Island and into the Lower Mainland. (Dreamstime/NanaimoNewsNOW illustration)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

SCAM WARNING

Multiple Macbook’s fraudulently purchased in Nanaimo using new credit card scheme

Feb 3, 2022 | 11:21 AM

NANAIMO — Stores selling high end tech and other expensive items are on alert with a new credit card scam circulating.

Local Mounties report multiple stores across Vancouver Island and into the Lower Mainland have fallen victim to purchases made using fake “Flexiti” credit cards.

Cst. Sherri Wade told NanaimoNewsNOW one store in Nanaimo was hit repeatedly.

“They’re specifically purchasing Macbook Pro’s, so expensive items. One store had four or five Macbook Pro’s fraudulently bought. They’re purchasing computers and the cards are fraudulent. It’s able to run through at the time but then of course there’s nothing on the card.

Flexiti is a legitimate, Canadian company which allows customers to purchase goods either in person or online at stores within the company’s network.

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Investigation into the fraudulent purchases continues.

Meanwhile, RCMP also report a spike in phone and online scams through the region recently.

Wade said one person lost a significant amount of money after receiving a call from someone claiming to be a bank, investigating fraud.

“They believed they were speaking with someone from their bank and then the person got them to purchase four Mastercard gift cards,” Wade said. “The person lost about $2000 on that.”

Finally, a local man lost a few hundred dollars after falling victim to a classic tech support scam.

His computer suddenly displayed a Microsoft logo and instructions for tech support, with the person unable to clear the message.

“The person in good faith called this phone number and then found out they’d hacked into his computer. They’d frozen it and pretended to be some kind of help service.”

He ultimately agreed to purchase multiple Apple gift cards in exchange for his computer being released.

“This person was trying to do the best he could and bought these cards. This person suspected it was a scam so he had his computer wiped and told the bank.”

Wade added suspecting individuals can call a variety of resources including the Nanaimo RCMP to ask whether a call is a scam or not.

More detailed information on recent and prevalent scams can be found through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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