Three suspects are facing a combined 114 fraud-related charges after numerous distraction thefts were identified during police’s Project Lucid.
An investigative team was created after numerous incidents of distraction thefts were reported in Durham Region during the months of August and September. Project Lucid was formed and with the assistance of the Calgary Police Service, Peel Regional Police and other community partners, numerous suspects were identified and three were arrested in the GTA.
The first reported incident occurred on August 6, 2019, at approximately 11:00 am. The victim was at a Walmart on Kingston Road East in Ajax when the female suspect approached the victim and told her that she had dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the floor. During this distraction, a second suspect removed a credit card from her purse. The victim realized later that her credit card was missing and numerous withdrawals were made using her card.
Three suspects were arrested at Pearson International Airport on Sunday, October 27. The suspects were involved in numerous distraction thefts in Durham Region between August and September. Distraction techniques were used to obtain credit cards and PIN numbers were also observed by looking over the shoulder of an unsuspecting victim.
As a precaution, try to carry cash and debit/credit cards separately, keep your purse closed and always be aware of your surroundings while using a point of sale terminal and an ATM, and while approaching your vehicle.
Persida Corciu, age 43, Andrei Preda, age 33 and Petrache Dadaci, age 48 all of No Fixed Address face 114 fraud-related charges. They were all in possession of Romanian passports. The charges included: Theft of Credit Card; Possess Identity Information; Fraud Under $5,000; Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Identity Fraud. They were held for bail hearings.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact D/Cst. Hall of the East Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1614.