September 23, 1988

13 are charged in Towers store promotion

Toronto Star
 

There were too many big winners in a Towers Department Stores promotion on June 25.

And for a very good reason. Police say at least 13 people knew they could splurge on big purchases without paying a cent.

All of them had scratch-and-save cards which, when checked by the sales clerks, showed they had won a 100-per-cent discount and would get the goods free.

One racked up a total of $1,800 worth of merchandise.

Police said the buyers bought the cards - the key feature of a one-day sales promotion - for $50 from a man who is alleged to have stolen them from the printing shop.

Store executives called in police when they discovered almost all of the 100 per cent discounts had been claimed by people making large purchases.

Yesterday, David McKellar, 22, of Hastings, Ont., was charged with fraud in a $909 purchase of tape recorders and patio furniture at the Towers store in Peterborough. Police said the goods were bought by a man who presented a scratch-and-save card that entitled him to a 100 per cent discount.

McKellar was the 13th person charged with fraud in the investigation conducted by Sergeants David Cabel and Don Miles of the Metro police fraud squad.

Only three of the accused made purchases under $1,000.

Allan Richards, 18, of Mississauga, described by police as a former employee of a printing firm, has been charged with stealing the cards.

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