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An alleged prolific fraudster is facing dozens of charges after racking up over $100,000 in trade debt allegedly under someone else’s identity.
The Auckland man has been remanded in custody after being arrested by fraud detectives on Tuesday at an apartment in Auckland’s CBD.
Auckland City’s Financial Crime Unit has been adding up the man’s crime spree which allegedly began in December last year, laying 36 fraud charges.
Kumeū Police had initially dealt with an unsuspecting victim of identity theft and alerted the unit.
Detective senior sergeant Craig Bolton says: “It will be alleged the man used a fake driver’s licence to obtain more than $110,000 in product from several large electronic and hardware retailers.
“This included fraudulently ordering nearly $20,000 in equipment commonly used to operate a clandestine laboratory.”
Branches of well-known retailers were targeted across the Auckland region.
Items allegedly obtained include high value electronic and hardware goods.
Bolton says generally fake driver’s licences are a tool of the trade for fraud offenders.
This sort of offending will involve someone combining their real identity with that of another person.
“I acknowledge our colleagues in Kumeū for alerting us in the first instance, which has prompted our team to investigate.
“Detective sergeant Ramsay and detective Everson from the Auckland City’s Financial Crime Unit have worked with urgency to bring together 12 separate cases Auckland wide.”
The man has appeared in the Auckland District Court and was to reappear on April 11.
