Scammers snatch unsuspecting shopper’s credit card at Walmart’s self-checkout counter
ByRichard Pollina
July 15, 2023 2:43am
Updated
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A scamming trio was caught on surveillance footage stealing an unsuspecting victim’s credit card in a sleight-of-hand moment while at a Colorado Walmart self-checkout station.
The scheme involves the suspects targeting a customer who is about to leave the store, according to a video released by the Arvada Police Department.
One of the thieves, who had been standing near a vending machine, dropped money next to where the man was checking out from the retail store.
As the thief handed the man his money, he steals a credit card out of the wallet while a woman directs the man to look in a different direction.
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Following the deception, the unidentified man reported fraudulent charges from the same Walmart they were shopping at — totaling a staggering $1,994, according to police.
Arvada is about 10 miles outside of central Denver.
Credit card scams and thefts at Walmarts are a common trend in Centennial State.
In March 2022, Three men were accused of using 15 or more credit card skimming devices at multiple Walmart stores in Colorado — with the string of thievery extending to Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, according to 9 News.
The outlet reported the men stole thousands of credit cards, debit cards, and gift card numbers from the locations beginning in December 2021.
One of the thieves is seen taking the credit card from the victim’s wallet while handing back the money.Twitter/Arvada Police
The scammers are accused of using the victim’s credit card at the same Walmart they stole it from.Twitter/Arvada PoliceThe men are suspected of using overlay skimmers, which can mimic credit card machines and point-of-sale devices to obtain the account holders’ numbers, expiration dates, and names.
The men collected “access to at least 7,873 personal credit card numbers, gift card numbers, and debit card numbers,” with the skimming device even being Bluetooth enabled, the outlet reported.
This month, in Fulton, NY, state troopers reported finding a device to steal credit card information that was secretly put on a checkout register at Walmart, according to Syracuse.com.
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An employee at the Walmart location discovered the device on July 5, with police believing it was installed on July 2.
“It’s pretty gutsy,” State Trooper Jack Keller told the outlet, saying these skimmers are usually not placed in such a public place and are often found in areas with less traffic at ATMs or registers.
