Three victims in metro Atlanta have been identified so far, but detectives believe there are dozens more in the city who have fallen victim to an identity theft ring centered around Walmart.
The cops say they’re close to cracking the case, but have yet to make an arrest.
The plot involves a team of con men creating checks and cashing them at the big box retailer. Police were firm in their belief that the scheme is only happening at Walmart stores.
In one painful example, WSB reports that a couple from Henry County went away on vacation for two weeks and returned to find out someone had used their IDs to create checks, then buy laptops and surveillance equipment at 11 different Walmarts across the Southeast, including as far north as Virginia.
“We had been wiped out, several thousand dollars,” the victim, who did not want to be identified, told WSB. “That’s still a big mystery. We don’t know how that happened.”
So far, Walmart surveillance cameras have found four people who police believe are part of the ring, however, two women and a man remain unidentified.
Investigators believe the ring targets the elderly by finding a way to get their information and manufacture fake checks. They first buy electronics at Walmart, always writing checks for less than $500, and then go to another Walmart to return the goods for cash.
Police have a lot of information on the group, but said they aren’t sure how the ring is getting all the info on the victims.
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