August 5, 2009
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CC Fraud; How Do They Do It?, Pt.2
It seems never ending.A Madison, Wisconsin Federal judge sentenced Thomas J Bluhm to three years in prison on charges of credit card fraud. Bluhm who was temporarily staying at a motel in Janesville, Wisconsin had stolen credit card information online and used the cards to purchase thousands of dollars in merchandise and gift cards. Some of the items he purchased for his own use, however, most of the goods he shipped overseas to Middle East countries including Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Egypt. Bluhm racked up over $20,000 on 32 stolen credit cards and over $3,900 in FedEx shipping charges. In addition to his three year sentence, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ordered Bluhm to pay restitution in the amount of $19,365 to area merchants. Bluhm was arrested after ordering $1,000 of gas cards and had them delivered to the motel room where he was staying.
Three people were arrested in Orange County, Florida for a creative credit card theft scheme. Valencia Hollis, Domonic Mclin and Julia Kelly were running the TMT Financial Services offering debt settlement arbitration. They took their clients' credit card information and used the stolen cards to purchase theme park tickets. The tickets were then posted on Craigslist for sale. The three cleared a profit off sale of the tickets of over $13,000. A police investigation lead authorities to the theme park where they questioned park visitors on the sale of the tickets. All the customers indicated that they had purchased the tickets off Craigslist from a company named Ticket Mania USA. A sting operation lead to the arrest of the three individuals.
Pinellas Park, Florida police are looking for a woman who stole a purse out of a Publix grocery store shopping card. The woman was caught on surveillance video using one of the stolen credit cards from the victim's purse making a large purchase at another Publix Grocery Store. The suspect is described as a white woman in her mid 30's, slim build and shoulder length brown hair. Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Pinellas Park Police Department.