A Winnipeg Costco is being sued by a former deli manager who claims she was wrongfully dismissed after falling victim to an identity thief who racked up thousands in fraudulent medical claims under her name.
The plaintiff, a 50-year-old Niverville woman, had worked for Costco Wholesale Canada for roughly 30 years until March 2024, when she says she was fired.
The statement of claim, filed in Court of King’s Bench June 17, says the woman was a senior manager at Costco’s 2365 McGillivray Blvd. location when she was called into a meeting and accused of falsifying records.
JESSE BOILY / FREE PRESS FILES
A senior manager at Costco’s 2365 McGillivray Blvd. location is suing Costco Wholesale Canada because she claims she was wrongfully dismissed after falling victim to an identity thief.
“She was given no warning that her job was in jeopardy,” the document says. “When (the plaintiff) declined to admit guilt, she was suspended effective immediately… and escorted out of the store under the watchful eyes of approximately 100 company employees.”
The fraud allegations stemmed from a Manulife Financial review that flagged $3,148 in medical charges paid out in her name, and $6,566 in the name of her partner, court documents show.
While she admits the medical claims were “improper insofar as the described medical services were not provided on the recorded dates” the woman “vehemently denies” making them herself. She alleges she was the victim of a “cybersecurity breach or other wrongdoing” and demands Costco prove otherwise, the document says.
As per the lawsuit, the claims were made over four years. When Manulife Financial raised concerns with the plaintiff about the claims, she raised the issue to the store’s general manager a month before she was fired.
“(She) denied wrongdoing and he commiserated with (her), stating that another Costco manager recently had their identity stolen with resulting fraudulent activities,” it says.
The lawsuit says the former employee began her career as a cake decorator with Costco in September 1994. She was promoted numerous times, eventually becoming a deli manager.
Her responsibilities included hiring and training, supervising 22 staff and overseeing deli operations. She was asked to travel to struggling Costco warehouses in Western Canada to review their deli departments’ financial statements, and provide advice on how to improve operations, it says.
At the time of her dismissal, she was earning approximately $95,800 annually, along with bonuses.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified general damages for wrongful dismissal, infliction of mental distress, loss of reputation and damage to career and employment opportunities.
It also seeks to have Costco Wholesale issue a formal declaration that the plaintiff was wrongfully dismissed.
On Tuesday, the lawyer for the former deli manager declined to comment.
Costco Wholesale has not filed a statement of defence and the lawsuit has not been tested in court.
Costco did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
“There are cases I know of where people’s personal information has been stolen and then fraudulently used to obtain medical services. I’ve never heard of it being done through insurance, but again, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” said Vanessa Iafallo, founder of Anti-Fraud Intelligence Consulting in Halifax.
“It’s curious that (both the plaintiff and her partner’s) accounts were used for fraud.”
Iafallo noted anybody can fall victim to identity theft, including through a mass data leak or inadvertent personal error.
She advised people to “batten down the hatches” if they suspect their personal data is compromised, by changing passwords and using credit monitoring services.
Information published online, including birth dates and addresses can be used by thieves to bypass security verification, she said.
“Given that the questions they ask for data verification include things, like, the first street you lived on, or the name of your dog, sharing that information online does put you at risk,” Iafallo said. “Being judicious is a really good place to start.”
Reporting fraud to police can help to establish the documentation needed to prove a person has fallen victim to an identity thief, she said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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