Deputies in Beaufort County, South Carolina, are asking for help identifying three people in a credit card fraud investigation tied to a Bluffton hotel stay.
The case began Wednesday, July 1, when deputies responded to the Holiday Inn Express at 35 Bluffton Road after a report of suspected financial transaction card fraud, according to ABC News 4.
Investigators determined that three people used another person’s credit card to pay for a hotel stay, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The cardholder later contacted the hotel and reported that the card had been used without authorization.
The three people have not been publicly identified. The sheriff’s office released their images and asked anyone who recognizes them to contact investigators.
The Hotel Charge Triggered The Fraud Investigation
Authorities have not said how the credit card information was obtained, whether a physical card was used, or how much was charged. The sheriff’s office described the case as a financial transaction card fraud investigation, not a booking dispute or a complaint about the room.
ABC News 4 reported that the cardholder contacted the hotel after the stay had been paid for and said the credit card had been used without authorization.
Deputies Are Asking The Public To Help Identify Them
Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the three people to contact Lance Cpl. Whitlock at 843-255-3443. The sheriff’s office has not announced any arrests in the case.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County by using the P3 Tips mobile app, visiting TIPSBFT.com, or calling 844-847-7238. The investigation remains ongoing.
Hotel Charges Can Be Easy To Miss
Hotel charges can appear after a reservation, check-in, or completed stay, which can make an unauthorized transaction harder to catch the same day it happens. A cardholder who sees an unfamiliar hotel charge should call the card company using the number on the statement or the back of the card, then contact the hotel through a number found independently.
The Federal Trade Commission says people disputing a credit or debit card charge must tell the card company within 60 days of when the first statement with the charge was sent. The FTC advises calling the card company first, keeping a record of the call, and following up with a written dispute letter to protect billing rights.
Anyone disputing a hotel charge should save the transaction date, amount, merchant name, reservation or folio details, emails, screenshots, card statements, dispute records, and any communication with the hotel or card issuer.