COPS have uncovered a massive fraud scheme after a woman called them and said her new credit card never showed up in the mail.
When investigators discovered the card in a California hotel room, they realized that over a dozen others were targeted by the scam.
Two suspects, Veronika Kushnareva, 32, and Richard Kissinger, 40, were targeted by the police, who began monitoring their purchases, as shared on the Facebook page of the Costa Mesa Police Department.
They learned the pair was spending money at a hotel in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles and raided the room.
When they walked inside, they found Kushnareva, stolen cards, blank checks, a printer, a laptop, fake money, and a high-end radio jammer.
Kissinger was found lurking in a stairwell at a nearby motel.
He had allegedly made the purchases with the stolen card and was driving the stolen vehicle.
The crime spree spanned across Southern California, targeting victims in Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, and Fontana.
So far, police have contacted 15 victims whose cards were stolen by the duo.
Investigators are now looking for more victims in the ongoing probe, as they believe more stolen credit cards haven’t been reported.
Kushnareva was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property and drug paraphernalia.
Kissinger was taken into custody for identity theft and possession of stolen property.
The duo faces multiple charges, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the Costa Mesa Police Department for comment on the case, but they had no further updates to share.
RISE IN CREDIT CARD THEFT
The prevalence of identity theft has become an increasing worry in 2024, with a total of 842,000 cases documented in the initial three quarters alone, indicating that this year could exceed the figures from the previous year.
Credit card fraud continues to be the leading form of identity theft, accounting for the majority of cases reported so far this year.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
The demographic most impacted by this crime comprises Americans between the ages of 30 and 39, who are identified as being at a higher risk of falling prey to identity theft when compared to both younger and older age brackets, according to information from Motley Fool Money.
The latest statistics on identity theft and credit card fraud reveal a troubling trend.
In the third quarter of 2024 alone, there were 290,000 reported cases of identity theft and 117,000 cases of credit card fraud.
These two types of fraud have consistently been the most common since 2020, and the number of reported cases has continued to rise over the past year, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission.
In a previous interview with The U.S. Sun, Michael Bruemmer, vice president of Experian Global Data Breach Resolution, stressed the importance of monitoring credit to protect against fraud.
He recommended checking credit reports at least once a year.
Bruemmer also suggested more frequent checks, such as quarterly or monthly, to stay on top of financial activity and catch potential issues early.
