Canada

3 charged with credit card thefts from fitness facilities in Edmonton, Ontario and Manitoba

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File photo of credit cards.

Three people are facing charges in connection with the theft of credit cards from locker rooms at fitness facilities across Canada.

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) started investigating in March after receiving reports of credit cards stolen from a fitness facility in northeast Edmonton.

The cards were used to make purchases at nearby businesses immediately after they were stolen, according to EPS.

Investigators were able to determine three people were working together in the thefts, with two people carrying out the locker break-ins, and a third person making the fraudulent purchases.

The suspects were linked to 18 separate credit card thefts at fitness facilities throughout Edmonton, as well as several in Ontario and Manitoba.

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In April, a 41-year-old woman, a 52-year-old man and a 40-year-old man were arrested in Winnipeg.

They are facing a combined total of 59 charges, including multiple counts of credit card fraud, fraud under $5,000, and theft under $5,000.

EPS says the value of fraudulent purchases in Edmonton alone is estimated to be more than $25,000.

Investigators in Edmonton worked on the case in conjunction with the Winnipeg Police Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.