Friday, January 07, 2005
Business Crime Alert - January 7, 2005
Recent Incidents
There have been several Retail Fraud incidents in recent days. Some of these shoplifters were combative and assaulted Loss Prevention Officers (LPOs). In one Oakland Mall store alone, there were at least three separate shoplifting incidents:
· 2 black males removed two suits from a display rack and left the store.
· LPOs observed two females stuffing items into empty shopping bags that they had concealed under their shirts. When approached, they threw their bags at the LPO’s and ran. One suspect escaped to a white Dodge Intrepid and fled. The second suspect was located and arrested by Police after punching, kicking, and biting LPO’s and escaping to the parking lot.
· LPOs observed a woman pushing a man in a wheel chair. She was concealing clothing behind the man in the wheelchair. They were stopped as they left the store without paying.
· At Mid-Town-Square, Troy Police Officers responded to a report of man and woman team stealing clothing and shoes. When Officer’s confronted the couple, they fled in opposite directions. The woman was caught after a short foot chase. The man was later arrested from his nearby apartment still wearing the stolen shoes.
There have been several incidents of Identity, Credit, and Check Frauds.
· A woman reported her wallet was stolen from the pocket of her coat while it hung in the office. When she reported the credit cards stolen she discovered fraudulent charges made on her American Express Card that was in her stolen wallet.
· A man reported that he suspected his friend stole his ATM card, and used it to make $1210 in unauthorized purchases.
· A woman reported that she applied for a mortgage and was refused. She checked her credit report and discovered three accounts she had never opened. These fraudulent accounts had been declared delinquent for non-payment of approx. $1350.
· A local bank’s Fraud Investigator reported that a suspect opened an account with two no account checks totaling $1969.21. He then withdrew $610 in cash from ATM’s before the checks were returned.
· A woman reported that she received a notice from ATT that her phone was shut off due to an unpaid $1800 balance. The billing address on the account had been changed, 3 additional phone lines had been added to her account, and 6 cell phones had been purchased and charged to her account. ATT advised the suspect would have needed the victim’s social security number in order to facilitate this crime.
Crime Prevention Tips
· Loss Prevention Officers should always work in groups of at least two, when confronting suspect(s).
· Attempt to call the police early while observing the shoplifters in-progress for more successful apprehensions.
· Attempt to stall the suspects by offering them assistance with sizes, etc., while another associate calls police.
· If suspects flee or resist you, give a description and direction of travel, as well as any vehicle information to the police immediately.
To prevent yourself from fraud and I.D. theft:
· Protect your personal information from others.
· Keep your social security card locked up at home.
· Do not give out personal information over the phone to anyone that you did not initiate the contact with.
· Keep your purses and wallets locked up when not on your person.
For more tips or to schedule a presentation for your employees, contact
Officer Jeff Stacey, Retail Establishment Coordinator, at
248-524-3464
There have been several Retail Fraud incidents in recent days. Some of these shoplifters were combative and assaulted Loss Prevention Officers (LPOs). In one Oakland Mall store alone, there were at least three separate shoplifting incidents:
· 2 black males removed two suits from a display rack and left the store.
· LPOs observed two females stuffing items into empty shopping bags that they had concealed under their shirts. When approached, they threw their bags at the LPO’s and ran. One suspect escaped to a white Dodge Intrepid and fled. The second suspect was located and arrested by Police after punching, kicking, and biting LPO’s and escaping to the parking lot.
· LPOs observed a woman pushing a man in a wheel chair. She was concealing clothing behind the man in the wheelchair. They were stopped as they left the store without paying.
· At Mid-Town-Square, Troy Police Officers responded to a report of man and woman team stealing clothing and shoes. When Officer’s confronted the couple, they fled in opposite directions. The woman was caught after a short foot chase. The man was later arrested from his nearby apartment still wearing the stolen shoes.
There have been several incidents of Identity, Credit, and Check Frauds.
· A woman reported her wallet was stolen from the pocket of her coat while it hung in the office. When she reported the credit cards stolen she discovered fraudulent charges made on her American Express Card that was in her stolen wallet.
· A man reported that he suspected his friend stole his ATM card, and used it to make $1210 in unauthorized purchases.
· A woman reported that she applied for a mortgage and was refused. She checked her credit report and discovered three accounts she had never opened. These fraudulent accounts had been declared delinquent for non-payment of approx. $1350.
· A local bank’s Fraud Investigator reported that a suspect opened an account with two no account checks totaling $1969.21. He then withdrew $610 in cash from ATM’s before the checks were returned.
· A woman reported that she received a notice from ATT that her phone was shut off due to an unpaid $1800 balance. The billing address on the account had been changed, 3 additional phone lines had been added to her account, and 6 cell phones had been purchased and charged to her account. ATT advised the suspect would have needed the victim’s social security number in order to facilitate this crime.
Crime Prevention Tips
· Loss Prevention Officers should always work in groups of at least two, when confronting suspect(s).
· Attempt to call the police early while observing the shoplifters in-progress for more successful apprehensions.
· Attempt to stall the suspects by offering them assistance with sizes, etc., while another associate calls police.
· If suspects flee or resist you, give a description and direction of travel, as well as any vehicle information to the police immediately.
To prevent yourself from fraud and I.D. theft:
· Protect your personal information from others.
· Keep your social security card locked up at home.
· Do not give out personal information over the phone to anyone that you did not initiate the contact with.
· Keep your purses and wallets locked up when not on your person.
For more tips or to schedule a presentation for your employees, contact
Officer Jeff Stacey, Retail Establishment Coordinator, at
248-524-3464
