Saskatchewan RCMP Warns Businesses of Large-Scale Fraud in Trucking Sector

Saskatchewan RCMP are warning businesses in the heavy-duty trucking and transportation sector about a large-scale fraud scheme built around phone orders, courier shipments and credit cards that appear to clear only long enough for goods to leave the supplier.

Investigators have identified 12 Saskatchewan businesses affected by the fraud. The businesses include automotive suppliers, tire shops, fuel distributors and other suppliers serving the trucking industry. No charges have been laid.

How the fraud works

Police say fraudsters place telephone orders for items such as truck tires, engine oil and trailer parts using stolen or fraudulent credit card information.

“The caller would provide credit card information over the phone, with the transaction showing to be approved and pending,” the RCMP said in a statement. Businesses then ship the materials by courier.

The problem appears after the goods are already on the move. According to police, “After the items were shipped, the credit card would be declined, and no payment would be received.”

That sequence is what makes the scheme especially concerning for suppliers: the order may seem legitimate at the point of sale, with the payment showing as approved or pending, but the business is left without payment once the transaction fails.

Saskatchewan businesses affected

Affected businesses have been reported in Battleford, Weyburn, Hudson Bay, Kindersley, Biggar, Assiniboia, White Butte, Moosomin, Cudworth and Onion Lake.

The RCMP said the businesses identified in the investigation generally serve the heavy-duty trucking and transportation sector, including tire shops, automotive suppliers, fuel distributors and other related suppliers.

“No charges have been laid in connection with this investigation yet; however, we are sharing this information to help prevent further victimization,” the RCMP said.

Investigators believe more businesses have been targeted and are asking anyone who received a suspicious order to report it to police, even if the order did not result in a financial or material loss.

Warning signs for suppliers

RCMP are urging businesses to slow down and verify suspicious telephone orders before proceeding, especially when a purchase involves payment over the phone and courier delivery.

Police advise businesses to verify callers’ identities before processing payment information. They also say suppliers should watch for orders where a payment card is declined and another card is offered, as well as rushed or unusual requests.

“If a transaction appears suspicious, do not proceed until it has been verified,” police said.

The warning is aimed most directly at heavy-duty trucking and transportation suppliers, but RCMP say businesses outside that sector could also be targeted. The pattern, as described by police, does not depend on a storefront being part of the trucking industry. It depends on a business accepting a telephone order, processing card information and shipping goods before the payment is fully settled.

Western Canada investigation continues

The investigation is not limited to Saskatchewan. Related incidents have been identified elsewhere in Western Canada, and Saskatchewan RCMP’s Central District General Investigation Section is working with other police agencies.

For now, police are treating awareness as part of prevention. They are asking businesses that believe they may have been targeted to contact police, including cases where staff recognized the warning signs early and stopped the order before any loss occurred.

RCMP say the message is simple: confirm who is calling, be cautious with payment cards that do not go through, question rushed or unusual requests, and do not ship suspicious telephone orders until they have been verified.

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