Sheepshead Bay, Mill Basin Residents Busted For Credit Card Scam At Gateway Mall’s Target
Eleven men, including two from Sheepshead Bay and one from Mill Basin, are accused of forging credit cards from fellow Brooklynites to purchase approximately $9,315 in gift cards at the Target in East New York’s Gateway Shopping Center.
Terquan Oliver, 25, of Batchelder Street, Courtney Cooper, 25, of Bragg Street, John Charles, 27, of East 55th Street in Mill Basin, and eight others are charged with criminal possession of a forged document, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other charges. Most were arraigned earlier this week.
The defendants, who range in age from 20 to 27, allegedly obtained duplicated debit cards of Chase customers around the borough and took advantage of Target’s policy that debit card swipes below $50 did not need a PIN to authorize the purchase. All of the purchases were for $45 gift cards, which the defendants then allegedly used to buy electronics – including seven iPods – and other goods.
The men were busted after Chase Bank noticed a large number of identical $45 purchases being made against Chase debit cards at the Gateway Target. Security personnel were made aware of the transactions, and the NYPD was notified. All three conducted an operation on January 7 to catch them in the act.
“This case is disturbing in that the defendants were allegedly able to systematically – and swiftly – swipe their way into the bank accounts of innocent Chase customers by using forged credit cards,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson in a statement. “Our Cybercrimes Unit will continue to work closely with the New York City Police Department to remain vigilant in the face of changing technology.
On January 7, at approximately 8am, just after the store opened, Oliver and Cooper, the two Sheepshead Bay residents, entered the box store and headed to the electronics section. They immediately began purchasing Target gift cards, according to prosecutors.
Oliver used two stolen debit cards to make 39 purchases of $45 cards in less than 15 minutes, authorities say. Twenty-four of the purchases were made on one card before it was declined, forcing Oliver to switch to the next card. The total value loaded onto the gift cards was $1,755.
At the same time, Cooper hit another register, loading up $45 increments onto a gift card 18 times, each using on fraudulent debit card. In total, he racked up $810.
The two then used the cards to buy seven iPods.
Thompson’s office claims the nine other defendants followed a similar pattern, leading to another $6,750 in losses. In all, the nine defendants allegedly swiped 51 different forged credit cards in less than an hour, switching to new cards as others were declined.
Of the remaining defendants, one lives in Flatbush, one in Crown Heights, one in Starrett City, three in Canarsie and two in East New York.