Irvine Police searching for fast-talking con man scamming Orange County businesses
The hunt is on for a slick, fast-talking con man accused of scamming businesses in Orange County.
On Aug. 27, a seemingly nice man walked into the Kay Jewelers at the Irvine Spectrum. He told the clerk he wants a $2900 necklace and offers to pay with cash.
"He appears to be very friendly," said Irvine police Sgt. Kari Davies. "Maybe even charming."
Davies said the suspect pretends to buy expensive items and pays cash but uses quick hands to steal some of the money back. The sergeant described the crime as a quick change scam.
In a quick change scam, a suspect volunteers to count the money in front of the clerk but then distracts the employee as he places his hand on the stack of bills. The moment the employee turns away, the con man swipes several bills and places them in the back of his pocket.
"It's kind of a magician's move," she said. "It's an old game from a long, long time ago and it just keeps circulating every so often."
In this case, the man accused of scamming a Kay Jewelers in Irvine ended up paying only $1000 for the nearly $3000 necklace. After running out of leads, the Irvine Police Department contacted a federal database and discovered that this person has allegedly scammed businesses throughout the world.
"There's also a case with the same crew in Georgia," said Davies. "And it just so happens that somebody in the group from the United Kingdom, from England, knew this crew, and was able to identify this suspect.
Police say his name is 24-year-old Retan Munteanu. They believe he is part of a Romanian theft crew that often uses sleight of hand to steal expensive items. While Davies does not know of any other local victims she is warning business owners to beware of this crew.
"If someone counts out money to you, once you take that money and count it out, don't let them touch it again," she said. "Because that's when they're able to do the sleight of hand and hide that money in their hand and eventually put it in their pocket while you're distracted."
