Man accused of using cloned credit cards at Maryland Target

A man was taken into police custody on August 14 after he was accused of using two fraudulent credit cards to purchase gift cards from a Maryland Target. According to the report, it was believed that he had visited the same Glen Burnie store on previous occasions and had bought nearly $17,000 in gift cards using fraudulent credit cards.

The authorities were reportedly alerted to the alleged criminal activity by a security guard who reportedly recognized the man. It was not reported if the police took him into custody at the store or at another location. The authorities stated that the man used credit cards that were cloned from other active cards, though the identity of anyone who may have had their card information stolen was not known at the time the report was released. The man was ultimately charged with felony credit card fraud. It was not reported when he was scheduled to be in court or if he remained in custody.

Being accused of theft is serious. If someone accused of theft is convicted, for example, they can potentially face a jail sentence and probation. In addition, however, the conviction can also negatively affect the person’s future as finding appropriate employment once the sentence has been served can be difficult. However, an attorney may be able to help the accused person.

An attorney may be able to create a strong criminal defense several ways. For example, if the person was taken into custody based on being allegedly recognized by a security guard or someone else, the attorney may be able to prove that this was a case of mistaken identity. Otherwise, they may be able to provide evidence that their client was involved in the alleged scheme without his or her knowledge.

Source: WUSA, “Man charged with credit card fraud at Md. Target,” Aug. 16, 2014