The News Room [News Archive]

Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2003

You’re a mean one, Mrs. Grinch! --- Sheriff’s Deputies arrest Detroit woman enjoying lavish Christmas with other people’s credit cards

Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies, working on a tip from a local retailer have stopped “Mrs. Grinch” in her tracks.

Officers today arrested a 32-year old Detroit woman who had been buying herself a Merry Little Christmas with other people’s credit cards, according to Sheriff Warren Evans.

“After fraudulently obtaining people’s credit card information, this individual purchased, or attempted to purchase, more than $30,000 in merchandise from Marshall Fields and Target,” said Evans. “Even the Christmas tree and presents she bought for her children were stolen. Now, her own kids are having their Christmas taken away, too.”

The purchases were made between September and December 7th, Evans said, and included expensive jewelry and designer label clothing such as Hugo Boss, Dana Buchman and Polo. Investigators also found a number of cell phones at the woman’s home that they believe were activated under other people’s names.

Although Marshall Fields successfully blocked many of the attempted purchases, more than $3,000 in fraudulently obtained clothing was seized from the suspect’s home.

Evans said that in telephone conversations, the woman posed as an employee of Sears when calling the arm of the company that issues MasterCard credit cards under the Sears logo. Sears, like many companies, issues brand name credit cards, applies its logo to the card and offers incentives to customers for each purchase.

Investigators say the suspect was able to convince Sears credit representatives that she needed some information relative to purchases made by some of her customers.

“We believe that the suspect may have had someone inside Sears feeding her the names, and perhaps partial credit card numbers, of individuals who held the Sears MasterCard,” Evans said. “We have one other individual in custody and investigating her possible involvement.”

Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Office, along with the county prosecutor, helped break a ring that had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise from Target in Southfield.

The case highlights the need for people to be extremely careful when handing out their credit card information to someone over the phone.

“Consumers need to remember to never give out their personal information over the phone unless they trust the person asking for it and they know the information is really needed in the first place,” Evans said. “If you have any doubts, get the person’s name, call the company they say their work for and ask for their supervisor.”

The suspect will be arraigned on Wednesday on five counts of stealing and possessing a financial transaction device without consent. Each count is punishable by up to four years in prison. The suspect, who has to previous felony fraud convictions is being charged as a 3rd Time Habitual offender, which would increase her prison time.

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