Police allege woman involved in multiple identity theft scams

City police have arrested a woman they believe is responsible for defrauding several businesses by stealing identities.

The fraud investigation was launched following a complaint that a Calgary woman had filed a loan application after stealing the identity of a local business owner.

It’s alleged the woman placed a deposit on a business that was for sale and then used information from that effort to apply for a loan.

In a separate instance, police allege the woman gained personal employee information provided for payroll purposes while posing as a purchaser of a business.

She then used that information to obtain credit, say city police.

It eventually became clear, say police, that a number of businesses and individuals had fallen victim to similar identity scams, with that stolen information used to apply for loans or obtain credit.

The alarm was raised after financial institutions contacted the people whose names were used, only to find they hadn’t applied for loans or credit.

Ashley Venn, 33, is charged with five counts of personation, five counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of forgery.

She goes by the alias Ashley Curran.

Though police have identified eight victims they say are linked to Venn, it’s believed others have also had their personal or business information compromised.

It’s vital the public protect their personal information through regular credit checks and by examining bank statements, said Sgt. Matt Frederiksen of the CPS’S fraud team, and if they suspect they’ve been scammed, to contact their financial institution immediately.

“Identity theft can be devastating for victims if their credit and finances can be ruined,” said Frederiksen.

Anyone who suspects their identity has been stolen can call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Identity theft can be devastating for victims if their credit and finances can be ruined.