Is Bay Area Flea Market Merchandise A Real Steal? ORC dumping merchandise at flea markets in San Francisco and it's on video. With gangs in the area using flea markets to dump their stolen merchandise with security tags still on some of the clothing. After CBS showed up the vendors cleared out real quick in Oakland, Ca. What a video! (Source cbslocal.com)


Identity theft ring leader pleads guilty in Manhattan Federal Court Friday to $1M in large-scale scam hitting big retail stores Smith and seven other scammers used credit information from customers with accounts at big-box retail stores -- such as Home Depot, Kohl's and Sears -- to purchase pricey products. He then sold the products to a secondary party at a price lower than market value, according to the release. Smith faces a maximum of 22 years in prison. (Source villagevoice.com)

Two men accused of "skimming" hundreds of credit card numbers will plea out in St. George, Calif. Arrested last year in Iron County following a traffic stop by the Utah Highway Patrol the two initially charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, two counts of marijuana possession and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. The case was referred to federal court in December, however, where the men have been charged by a grand jury with aggravated identity theft, possession of unauthorized access devices and aiding and abetting. The government seized two iPhones, a laptop computer, two cell phones and nine electronic data capture devices allegedly found in the vehicle. The government alleges the items were used to “skim” credit card information, which involves using data devices to swipe and store card numbers while the cards are being used by their owners for otherwise legitimate transactions. (Source thespectrum.com)

Two Baton Rouge women have been sentenced for an identity theft scheme that netted $150,000. Convicted of creating more than 20 unauthorized credit card accounts over a three-year period, beginning in January 2007 the sisters used the cards to make $148,000 in purchases. (Source wafb.com)

NYC Shoplifting Gang busted in Kittery, Maine. Three New Yorkers allegedly involved in "organized retail crime" were arrested after police reported finding $8,000 in stolen merchandise from the Kittery Outlet Mall in their van. Police responded to the outlet mall at about 1 p.m. Friday, after a store manager reported people acting suspiciously and possibly stealing items. Officers obtained descriptions of the suspects and alerted other stores in the outlets to the investigation. Police said the suspects became "nervous" and stashed some stolen merchandise in another store where no theft had taken place. Kittery police subsequently arrested the three suspects after following the trio to their rented van. (Source seacoastonline.com)

Duo jailed in retail theft spree in Palm Beach, FL Police arrested Eva D. Robinson, 21, of Miami, and Letishia Powell, 43, of Miramar, charging them with an organized scheme to defraud and three counts of aggravated grand retail theft and petit theft after hitting retailers from six Palm Beach stores. (Source palmbeachdailynews.com)

Massachusetts man-serial shoplifter busted stealing ink cartridges in Windsor Locks local pharmacy Stewart Farmer, 44, of Springfield, had roughly $1,120 in cartridges along with drugs in his car when arrested. (Source journalinquirer.com)