Oct 6, 2008 9:53 pm US/Pacific
Police Warn Of New Credit Card Scam
A band of crooks is using a new technique to get thousands of dollars from stolen credit cards.
Thieves will lurk in parking lots waiting for the right time to break into cars, desperate to find credit cards.
"I think it's awful," said Toni Schwartz, Riverbank resident.
It's part of a new scheme in riverbank where crooks use the stolen credit cards along with receipts people throw away to steal thousands of dollars from stores like Target and Home Depot, say police.
"The criminals have nothing but time on their hands," said Raj Singh, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Dept.
Here's how it works: Investigators say the receipts that are kept are strictly cash purchases. The suspects then buy exactly what is on the receipt with the stolen credit card and return it for the money.
Detectives say 42-year-old David Sigala, 34-year-old Brandy Richards, and 20-year-old Kendra Franks were arrested and charged for the crime.
Another unidentified accomplice is still on the loose. More importantly, investigators say, is to beware of the scheme.
"It's hard to become a victim of identity theft by throwing a receipt away but you might be preventing someone else from becoming a victim," said Singh.
Anyone with information about he unidentified accomplice should contact the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.
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