Niagara Regional police fraud unit has seen an increase is a common ‘card not present’ scam and is warning local businesses.

The fraud occurs when a large order of merchandise is ordered by email or phone and the cardholder is not present for the transaction. Later the payment card is found to be fraudulent or stolen usually after the order has been picked up or delivered, resulting in a charge back on the business.

This scam targets construction and home improvement materials and is frequently made by first time customers with arrangements for the product to be picked up at a later date or delivered to an address outside the Niagara region.

Any businesses having been the victim of this scam are encouraged to report the matter to the Niagara Regional Police at (905) 688-4111 or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.