A Langford woman has been arrested following a costly case of fraud that took place over the summer.
The investigation began on Aug. 1 after a West Shore resident told RCMP that their wallet had been stolen from their unlocked vehicle.
The next day, police say that a female suspect used the victim's ID found in their wallet to impersonate them and took out a $10,000 loan from a local money-lending business. The woman also allegedly changed the victim's personal information through two credit scoring agencies, Equifax and TransUnion.
After the loan was taken out, investigators from West Shore RCMP were able to identify the woman through video surveillance as 32-year-old Langford resident Crystal Bemister. Police then worked to acquire a search warrant for her residence.
Once the warrant was granted, police searched Bemister's home and discovered a number of other stolen items, including a camera and identification from another victim.
On Sept. 24, Bemister was served a number of charges, including one count of fraudulent use of a computer, three counts of fraud, three counts of impersonation and one count of theft under $5,000.
While this investigation has concluded, police are reminding residents to lock their vehicles and secure their homes, especially at night.
"We get daily calls for service regarding theft from unlocked vehicles," said Const. Nancy Saggar, West Shore RCMP. "This particular theft led to the complainant’s personal information being compromised."
"Please do not leave your valuables in your car. Adopt a nightly routine of locking your car doors and check to make sure your home is secure before going to bed."
