A customer’s debit card was allegedly taken while she ate at a Jersey Mike’s in Aberdeen, North Carolina, on September 30. A court warrant describes an unexpected use of that card afterward: a $102.66 online water-bill payment.
Samantha Sabrina Isaac, 32, of Hamlet, faces nine felony counts connected to the suspected theft and fraudulent transactions. The charges also include attempts to pay for food at a Papa John’s in Aberdeen using the same card.
The customer reported the missing card to Aberdeen Police on October 9, after canceling it and discovering suspicious activity. Her banking documentation showed eight uses or attempted uses between September 30 and October 2, according to Sandhills Sentinel’s report of the police investigation.
Officers examined surveillance recordings and witness accounts before obtaining an arrest warrant on October 11. Isaac was arrested October 31 with assistance from the Carthage Police Department.
The Warrant Describes a Card Picked Up From the Counter
The October 11 arrest warrant accuses Isaac of conspiring with an unidentified person to steal the card. Both saw it on the Jersey Mike’s counter before Isaac picked it up and showed it to the other person, according to the charging text.
The false-pretenses count alleges that Isaac used the Bank of America card to pay the water bill online while representing herself as the cardholder. A separate identity-theft count describes the transaction as a payment for a residence in Hamlet.
Four Counts Allege Attempts to Buy Papa John’s Food
Four attempted-false-pretenses counts each list $15.35 for food at Papa John’s in Aberdeen. The court’s case summary dates one of the alleged attempts to September 30 and three to October 2.
Court Records List a November 12 Appearance
The nine charges consist of larceny of a chose in action, identity theft, felony conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretenses, four attempted-false-pretenses counts and possession of stolen property. North Carolina’s identity-theft law expressly includes debit card numbers among the identifying information it protects.
The November 7 court case summary lists the case as pending and records a $15,000 secured bond posted through a professional surety on November 1. The accompanying appearance bond records Isaac’s release that day.
An October 31 release order directs Isaac to have no contact with the customer. It lists a court appearance on November 12 at 9:30 a.m. in Moore County Courtroom 327. Isaac is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Report a Missing Debit Card to the Bank Immediately
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises notifying the bank immediately after discovering a debit card is missing. Reporting within two business days generally limits responsibility for unauthorized transfers to $50 or the amount taken, whichever is less; waiting longer can increase that exposure.
Cardholders should also review their statements and report transactions they did not authorize. A separate deadline generally runs 60 days from when the bank sends a statement showing an unauthorized transfer. Waiting beyond that period can leave a customer responsible for certain additional transfers made after the deadline and before the bank receives notice.