Two New York residents were arrested in Connecticut after police said Costco employees reported an attempted self-checkout credit card scheme that appeared to involve two stores.
WFSB reported that South Windsor police identified the suspects as 35-year-old Brittany Howard, of the Bronx, and 34-year-old Kasheem Williams, of Brooklyn.
Police said the pair were arrested Sunday after officers responded to the Costco on Tamarack Avenue in South Windsor. The call came in as a report of two shoplifting suspects who were actively stealing from the store and trying to pay at self-checkout with fraudulent credit cards, according to police.
Employees also told officers the same two suspects had just attempted similar activity at a Costco in Enfield, police said.
Police Say Costco Employees Reported The Self-Checkout Attempt
South Windsor police said officers were called to the Tamarack Avenue store around 3:53 p.m. Sunday after employees reported suspicious activity at self-checkout.
CT Insider, through the Journal Inquirer, reported that employees told police the suspects had tried to use credit cards at self-checkout and had just attempted the same thing at the Enfield Costco.
Lt. Mark Cleverdon of South Windsor police told WFSB that officers arrived and both people were taken into custody.
Twenty-Eight Cards With Different Names Were Found, Police Say
The arrests led to a broader payment-card case. Police said they found 28 credit cards with different names in the suspects’ vehicle, along with items believed to have been stolen from the Enfield store.
Howard and Williams were charged with second-degree larceny, 28 counts of payment card theft, third-degree identity theft, and conspiracy to commit third-degree identity theft, police said.
Police also said both suspects had extraditable warrants from other states. Howard had a warrant out of Hudson County, New Jersey, for credit card theft, while Williams had a warrant out of Suffolk County, New York, for charges that included burglary, strangulation, and assault, according to WFSB.
Both Suspects Were Held On $250,000 Bonds
Howard and Williams were held on $250,000 surety bonds and were scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Monday, according to police.
The charges remain allegations unless proven in court. The police account did not say whether any cardholders had already reported fraudulent charges connected to the cards.
Card Fraud May Show Up After The Store Attempt
In payment-card cases, the person whose name is on the card is often not standing at the checkout. A customer may still have the physical card while the card number, account details, or cloned card is used somewhere else.
The Federal Trade Commission says consumers should report lost or stolen credit, ATM, and debit cards immediately and watch account activity closely for fraudulent charges.
Credit cards generally offer stronger protections than debit cards. The FTC says liability for unauthorized credit-card charges is limited to $50, while debit-card protection can depend on how quickly the loss or fraud is reported.
Anyone who sees a purchase they did not make should lock or freeze the card through the bank app if possible, contact the card issuer through the number on the back of the card or the bank’s official website, and request a replacement card. Victims should save screenshots, statements, receipts, and police-report information if the card issuer or local authorities need documentation.