Man faces charges of fraud

It may not be as classy a ride as he’s used to, but Newport Beach police think the back of a squad car suits one Newport Beach man just fine.

Police on Thursday arrested a local limo business owner they say defrauded hundreds of customers out of thousands of dollars through unauthorized credit card charges.

Police said Hamid Derakhshi, 45, would make unauthorized charges ranging from $900 to $1,500 on people’s credit cards a few days after they used his limousine service, “A Classy Ride.”

Derakhshi’s limo service was near John Wayne Airport, giving him a clientele that stretched far behind the city’s borders, said Sgt. Evan Sailor.

“The [victims] are from anywhere and everywhere,” he said.

Authorities are still investigating how many people Derakhshi allegedly ripped off, but said they are likely in the hundreds.

Police said that after customers would use his limo service, Derakhshi would wait days, maybe even months, then make an unauthorized charge on the victim’s credit card.

Police estimate that he has charged American Express, MasterCard and Visa more than $1 million in unauthorized transactions over the years.

Police said it may not have been as easy to prove the fraudulent charges had Derakhshi not kept such meticulous financial records.

Attached to each legitimate credit card receipt from customers, Derakhshi would staple the new, unauthorized charge receipts for his records, Sailor said.

“We don’t appreciate what he did to the victims, but we do appreciate that he kept such good records,” Sailor said.

Employees at “A Classy Ride” declined to comment Thursday.

Police believe there are more victims out there and urge anyone who thinks they may have unauthorized charges from Derakhshi’s company to notify their bank immediately then call police at (800) 550-NBPD.

For more information about identity theft and similar crimes, go to www.nbpd.org. Police are investigating if anyone else was involved.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.