FOUR teenagers have been arrested in West Vancouver after being caught trying to buy pricey smartphones with allegedly stolen credit cards.
A concerned shop clerk at Park Royal Shopping Centre called West Vancouver police Monday evening after the teens came into a cellphone store and attempted to make the purchase with credit cards that were reported lost or stolen via the point-of-sale terminal.
The clerk challenged the suspicious shoppers and called police and mall security but the teens had already fled.
After getting a description of the suspects, WVPD members scoured the parking lot and pinched the would-be fraudsters as they tried to drive away from Park Royal just minutes later.
The four were arrested without incident and taken into custody for questioning.
Investigators searched the teens' car and recovered several suspected fraudulent credit cards and three smartphones valued at roughly $2,400.
Police could not say how the teens got hold of credit cards that were reported lost.
Police are planning to recommend charges of fraud and possession of fraudulent documents for an 18-year-old Vancouver woman and three Vancouver men aged 17, 18 and 19.
Crown council must consider if there is enough evidence to secure a conviction before deciding whether or not to press charges or whether other charges would be more appropriate.
All four suspects were released on a promise to appear in North Vancouver provincial court in June.
