The two suspects violated their release conditions on Sunday, March 12, 2017 when they boarded a plane at Vancouver Airport that was destined for Heathrow Airport.
Downtown Division with the assistance of Economic Crimes Section, continue to investigate a large-scale fraud involving several complainants, including financial institutions.
In October 2016, Downtown Division received information from a police agency in Ontario that two suspects were believed to have connections in Edmonton. Through the investigation, the EPS confirmed the two suspects lived in Edmonton and they were connected to other fraud-related files.
Search warrants were executed on two residences and a vehicle in the downtown area on March 5 and March 6, 2017 and seized:
More than $20,000 worth of tablets and accessories.
More than 10,000 credit card applications.
Identity documents that were in the process of being altered.
Evidence of seven mailboxes around Alberta that were used in the commission of these crimes.
Vivek Shailesh Parekh, 32, was charged with theft over $5,000, obtain/possess identity information(x2), made/possess identity documents, possess a forged or falsified credit card, fraud over $5,000, personation to gain advantage himself (x8), disguised (x3), possess stolen property over $5,000 and breach of recognizance (x4).
Nidhi Nitnaware, 34, was charged with fraud over $5,000, possess identity information, possess a forged or falsified credit card, personation to gain advantage herself (x3) and breach of recognizance (x4).
“These two suspects were legitimately employed to sell credit cards,” says Staff Sgt. Brad Pearce with EPS Downtown Division Criminal Investigations Section. “There was no way that citizens could have known this was connected to fraudulent activity. We’re reminding everyone to check their accounts regularly and report suspicious activity to your financial institution.”
More charges are pending as the investigation continues.
Police are releasing the photos of the accused as they are wanted on Canada wide warrants.
Vivek Shailesh Parekh, 32
5’9” tall and 197 lbs
Nidhi Nitnaware, 34
5’3” tall and 153 lbs
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these individuals is encouraged to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.
How can you find out if your identity was stolen
The best way to find out is to monitor your hard copy or on-line financial accounts frequently and to check your credit report regularly for any unusual activities. If you receive calls from collection agencies about unfamiliar accounts, or if you applied for credit and were unexpectedly turned down, you should investigate further.
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:
Step 1 - Contact your bank/financial institution and credit card company
Step 2 - Contact the two national credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit reports.
Equifax Canada
Toll free: 1-800-465-7166
TransUnion Canada
Toll free: 1-877-525-3823
Step 3 - Always report identity theft and fraud. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
A variety of fraud awareness resources are available to the public from Service Alberta, the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and Scam Detector. For additional fraud and crime prevention tips, please visit www.edmontonpolice.ca/crimeprevention.