Three arrested in credit-card cloning
URBANA -- Police have arrested three people in connection with a credit-card "cloning" operation that they say cost consumers more than $10,000.
Urbana police took a report last week from a Champaign man whose checking account had been used without his permission to make purchases at the Meijer store in Urbana. While the man still had his debit card, another card encoded with his information was used to make more than $1,000 worth of purchases at the store.
Police in Urbana worked with officials from Meijer and Busey Bank to investigate and discovered more victims and more losses. All the accounts had been used at the McDonald's on North Neil Street in Champaign during the first week of February, according to a police report.
One employee at the McDonald's was swiping customers' cards through a personal magnetic card reader and capturing their financial information.
On Sunday, Urbana police arrested Julie L. Howard, a 19 year-old Urbana woman, at the McDonald’s on North Neil in Champaign. Police then used interviews and watched surveillance video to arrest Donell Edwards, 18, of Savoy and Lacal D. James, 20, of Urbana. All three arrests were made without incident, and all three were taken to the Champaign County Jail on preliminary charges of financial identity theft.
Police praised the cooperation of Meijer and McDonald's employees, and said other stores than Meijer were victimized.
Police urge anyone who thinks he may have been victimized -- having used a credit'/debit card during breakfast hours at McDonald's, 1812 N. Neil St., C, during the first week of February -- to contact the Urbana police department at 384-2320.
Most retail point-of-sale systems use self-swipe or swipe within your view. If someone takes your card either below the cash register or into another area do not let them. This remote card reader collection scam has been going around in many locations nationwide. Watch the transaction as you would with cash. Take precautions with your card. If you have questions call the manager of the establishment. Stay in control of your card.
This should also be a reminder to check your bank account and statements on a regular basis. As soon as you spot a debit that is unauthorized, contact your bank. The sooner you alert the bank that there is a problem, the sooner that money can be put back into your account.
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