Police: Surveillance Video Captures Alleged Identity Thief In Action
CORAL SPRINGS (CBSMiami) – Police are hot on the trail of an identity thief who has run up a $3,000 tab in someone else's name. Police know her face, now they are just looking for a name.
The woman, seen in surveillance video at a Kohl's Department store, purchased $370 worth of merchandise using a fraudulent credit card on July 23rd, according to Coral Springs Police.
Police said the same woman is also wanted for buying merchandise with a fake credit card at Target, Wal-Mart and Macy's.
In the Kohl's video, she is seen shopping for clothes then paying for the merchandise with a credit card that is in someone else's name.
The cashier doesn't know it but the name on the credit card is actually a victim of identity theft.
"What she'll do initially, she'll obtain your information, whether it's online or whether it's something you filled out like a job application and then she goes online and she opens a line of credit with your information. She'll provide her cell phone number, fraudulent address where to mail it to or something of that nature so if they do contact her, 'Hey Miss so-and-so, did you open up, apply for a line of credit?' 'Yea that's me I applied for it'," explained Coral Springs Police Lt. Joe McHugh. "All we know is that she does work very closely with another male, we think the male actually sits outside the store waiting in a vehicle so when she leaves, they leave the area very quickly.
One of the woman's victims, who asked not to be identified, said the theft of her identity has rattled her.
"(I) just feel violated," said the woman. "Like you're getting broken into everyday. Just knowing someone has my name was scary. We didn't know if they were stealing my mail. The other thing is my credit score has gone down because of all this. It's a real mess."
"
Coral Springs Police want to catch this woman. They said in their city alone, she has opened up four different lines of credit in someone else's name and then went on a spending spree.
"The City of Sunrise currently has cases with the same individual who opened up lines of credit under someone else's information and not the same victim that we have, they have a different victim," said Lt. McHugh.
If you recognize the woman, call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
