Police arrested two women on Monday at the Aventura Mall who are accused of trying to buy thousand of dollars’ worth of designer goods with stolen credit cards.
Aventura police said the women, 31 and 52, allegedly stole five credit cards from a Sunny Isles Beach woman. The 31-year-old is accused of using one of the cards around 4:30 p.m. on Monday to buy two pairs of sunglasses valued at $1,400 at the mall’s Bloomingdale’s store, police said.
Police said she left the store and joined the 52-year-old woman, who was waiting inside a car in the mall’s parking lot.
Officers said they were waiting for the pair as they tried to leave the mall, having been tipped off by an earlier attempt to use the stolen credit cards.
An hour earlier, officers said, the 31-year-old had attempted to buy a designer handbag for $4,800 at the mall’s Nordstrom store. When she used one of the stolen cards to pay, the transaction was declined, police said. She tried again with another card, which was also declined.
The failed purchase triggered an alert, and the credit card company contacted the victim, who in turn contacted the Aventura Police Department.
Aventura police said that the pair had planned to resell the items that they purchased with the stolen cards. Police said they found five credit cards belonging to the victim when they arrested the women.
The 31-year-old is currently being held on $82,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami. The 52-year-old was released on bond. According to court records, both women face multiple charges of credit card fraud and theft in addition to the Aventura Mall case.
Fraud charges occur when someone uses deception to obtain money or other benefits from another person. In order for criminal charges to be filed, it is not actually necessary that the person be successful in their attempt to defraud property.
Some examples of credit card fraud include:
- Using a stolen credit card as your own
- Knowingly reporting purchases you made as unauthorized purchases
- Using stolen credit card information to apply for another credit card
- Charging expenses to a credit card without the cardholder’s consent
If you have been charged with credit card fraud, our South Florida Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can defend you and your rights. We will pursue the best possible outcome in any fraud case.
Contact us online or call us at 561-367-8777 for a free consultation to learn how we can help you. Your consultation is completely free and confidential.