May 26, 2010
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News: Credit Card Thieves In The Gym
If you don't want to lose your wallet, purse or credit cards, be sure to lock you locker when you go to the gym. A recent Cicero man learned this lesson the hard way when in a hurry to get started with his workout, he got worked by credit card thieves. The identity of the thief is not yet known, however, he was observed on surveillance video using the victim's stolen credit card. The man described as a well dressed, polite and picky male wasted no time in racking up thousands of dollars in a matter of a short time. While the unsuspecting victim was busy at the gym, the thief was busy spending over $18,000 at Best Buy, Sports Authority, Footlocker and Radio Shack.
According to Cicero Police Investigator Jim Meyers, the department has never seen a case where the credit card thief racked up such a large amount of fraudulent transaction without being flagged as suspicious. After viewing the thief on surveillance, the victim said he had never seen him before. The victim said he believe his credit card was stolen from his wallet while he was working out at the gym. He was not aware that his card was missing until he received a call from his lender asking about the irregular charges.
In an unrelated incident, there was another credit card thief hanging out at a YMCA gym in Charlotte County, Florida. This incident involved a female who reported her purse stolen from the women's locker room at the Port Charlotte YMCA while she was working out. Surveillance video captured two women using the stolen cards at local retailers including Beall's Department Store, Dillard, Bath and Body Works, Freestyle and Piercing Pagoda. One of the thieves is described as a 5' 1" tall, heavy set with brown hair. The other woman is described as 5'7" tall and thin build. The moral of these stories…..lock your locker!