Employees exploited knowledge of company systems to carry out scheme
Two employees of a cellphone retailer in British Columbia have been charged in connection with a fraud scheme that allegedly cost their employer nearly $900,000.
Sgt. Paul Walker, media officer for the Abbotsford Police Department, said the investigation began in October 2023 after reports of suspicious activity at a cellular store in the 2800 block of Gladwin Road.
Investigators allege that between June and October 2023, the employees created hundreds of fake cellular accounts.
“Numerous unpaid phones were (allegedly) taken and sold by these employees for personal gain,” Walker said, according to The Abbotsford News.
The investigation by the department’s major crime unit determined the employees exploited their knowledge of company systems to carry out the scheme. The resulting losses to the company totalled $891,000, Walker said.
Simran Sachdeva, 26, and Hirday Malhotra, 25 both are facing two counts of fraud over $5,000. Sachdeva is also charged with three additional counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of trafficking in identity information.
Walker said Malhotra has an outstanding warrant for his arrest and is believed to have left the country, according to The Abbotsford News.
Neither individual had prior criminal charges, according to the provincial court database.
Walker declined to provide additional details, stating the case is now before the courts, according to the report.
Previously, a real-estate lawyer who admitted to embezzling $7 million from her clients was handed a 20-day imprisonment for contempt, according to a report from CBC.
Also, a former TD Bank employee was accused of helping illegally move millions of dollars from the U.S. to Colombia.
