A family-owned Pennsylvania market says two men used stolen credit cards to obtain approximately $15,000 in raw meat through two large pickups.
Surveillance footage from Altomonte’s Italian Market & Deli in Warminster shows the men loading short ribs, oxtails and other beef products into a van on separate occasions.
The card payments initially appeared to be approved. Weeks after the merchandise had left the store, the card company reversed the transactions because the cards had been identified as stolen.
The First Order Looked Like a Wholesale Purchase
The operation began with a telephone order for thousands of dollars in beef products, according to 6abc. Store manager Michael Grispino said employees believed the customer might represent another small business purchasing meat in bulk.
Altomonte’s has operated for 55 years and regularly handles meat orders. Although the size of the purchase was unusual, the products were consistent with what a restaurant, butcher shop or other food business might need.
The payment appeared to go through, and the men collected the merchandise. The store did not immediately receive a decline, fraud alert or dispute connected to the first order.
The Men Returned for a Second Load of Meat
Because the first purchase appeared to have been completed successfully, Altomonte’s agreed to prepare another large order. Surveillance footage shows two men returning and loading additional meat into their van.
Short ribs and oxtails were among the products visible in the footage. The store has not released a complete inventory or assigned a separate dollar amount to each pickup.
Altomonte’s said it learned weeks later that the cards were stolen. The card company then removed the money previously credited for the purchases. By the time the transactions were reversed, the raw meat had already left the store. Altomonte’s placed its resulting loss at approximately $15,000.
Police Are Trying to Identify the Two Men
After receiving the chargebacks, Altomonte’s contacted nearby butcher shops, pizzerias and other businesses to warn them about unusually large card orders. Warminster police are continuing to investigate and are seeking help identifying the two men shown in the surveillance footage.
Anyone with relevant information can contact the Warminster Township Police Department’s 24-hour nonemergency dispatch line at 215-672-1000 or submit a nonurgent tip through the department’s CRIMEWATCH page.
An Approved Transaction Did Not Guarantee Final Payment
The payments appeared valid when the orders were collected, but authorization does not prove that the person placing an order is the legitimate cardholder.
Visa’s merchant dispute guidance warns that an authorized transaction can still be disputed when fraud is later reported. An approval generally indicates that the issuer authorized the transaction using the information presented at that time; it does not eliminate the possibility of a later chargeback.
That distinction is especially important with telephone orders, where the physical card and cardholder are not present when the payment information is submitted.
Pickup Records Can Help With a Chargeback and Police Report
Merchants should preserve the complete order record, including the telephone number used, itemized invoice, payment authorization, pickup time, messages and any name or business information provided by the purchaser.
Surveillance footage should be saved before the recording system automatically deletes it. Images of the people collecting the goods, the vehicle, license plate and direction of travel may help investigators connect separate purchases.
If a chargeback arrives, the merchant should respond through its payment processor by the stated deadline and provide the documentation requested. The records may not defeat a valid stolen-card dispute, but they can establish how the order was placed and identify the people who received the merchandise.
The business should also ask the processor whether other transactions involving the same customer information, device, telephone number or pickup pattern require review.