fbpx
News

Two Surrey, B.C. residents allegedly defrauded Telus out of 450 iPhone X devices

The total cost of the iPhones was $704,250

Telus sign

Two Surrey, British Columbia residents allegedly defrauded Vancouver-based national carrier Telus out of 450 iPhone X smartphones totalling $704,250 CAD.

According to a November 28th, 2018 civil claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Barinder Singh Sidhu and Karan Singh Multani allegedly impersonated employees of Burnaby-based Olympia Transportation during a January 16th, 2018 meeting with Telus employees Katie Bott and Saif Rehman.

Sidhu is a former employee of Olympia, a transportation company in British Columbia that’s also a “long-standing and well-established client” of Telus.

As a result of its relationship with Olympia, the carrier didn’t request a down payment for the iPhone 8 order.

Telus claimed that Sidhu impersonated Baljinder Sandhu, a director of Olympia, “by introducing himself and purporting to be Baljinder Sandhu.”

Multani reportedly impersonated Amar Gill, the operations manager at Olympia.

The meeting allegedly took place at a warehouse in Surrey that Sidhu and Multani claimed was a new business address of Olympia.

Shortly after the meeting, Sidhu and Multani contacted Telus to place an order for 450 iPhone 8 smartphones, as well as SIM cards.

Telus fulfilled the order request, sending the iPhone 8 devices to the warehouse where the Sidhu and Multani met with Telus representatives.

Sidhu and Multani later sent the phones back to the carrier, contacting Telus around May 18th, 2018 to request 450 iPhone X devices and SIM cards instead.

According to the same November 28th filing, the cost of the new order totalled $704,250. Telus sent an invoice for the iPhone X smartphones to Olympia’s business address.

That cost represented a promotional price on a three-year term.

Sidhu and Multani reportedly contacted Telus again, in an attempt to acquire further discounts on the 450 smartphones.

“At all material times, Sidhu and Multani held themselves out to be Baljinder Sandhu, and Amar Gill, respectively, and as authorized representatives of Olympia,” reads an excerpt from the B.C. supreme court filing.

Sidhu and Multani reportedly used the online Facebook Marketplace platform to attempt to sell some of the iPhone X devices they’d obtained.

A Telus employee reportedly purchased one of the iPhone Xs through the Facebook Marketplace, though the same employee attempted to return the device since it was blacklisted and ceased to function.

“At all material times, Sidhu and Multani held themselves out to be … authorized representatives of Olympia” — November 28th court filing

Telus slowly became aware of an issue when the company tried to collect payment for the purchases.

The real Amar Gill told Telus that his company hadn’t placed either the first or second smartphone order.

Telus representatives reportedly discovered the fraud during an August 15th, 2018 meeting with the real Gill.

“The Telus representatives were also made aware that Baljinder Sandhu is a woman, and therefore that they have not met previously with the actual Baljinder Sandhu,” reads an excerpt from the same November 28th filing.

During the August 15th meeting, an Olympia employee phoned Sidhu, allowing Telus representatives Bott and Rehman to identify the voice on the line as belonging to the individual who impersonated Sandhu.

Telus representatives also identified Sidhu, using a photograph emailed by an Olympia employee.

“…Telus representatives were also made aware that Baljinder Sandhu is a woman…” — November 28th court filing

Telus is currently seeking the return of all the smartphones obtained by Sidhu and Multani, as well as general damages for conspiracy, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, deceit, conversion and breach of contract.

Telus is also requesting that Sidhu and Multani pay $704,250 — the cost of the 450 iPhone X devices sold to Olympia.

MobileSyrup has reached out to Telus for comment. This story will be updated with a response.

Via: Vancouver is Awesome

Related Articles

Comments