Tysons Corner Mall at Christmas: Identity Theft, Nearly 100 Arrests for Stolen Goods

Fairfax County police patrolling both Tysons Corner Malls in plain clothes during the 2011 Christmas holidays made 83 arrests and recovered nearly $45,000 in stolen merchandise.

But they discovered that identity theft --- someone else using your credit card information to buy merchandise-- is a larger problem than shoplifting.

“The biggest thing we saw in the mall was credit card fraud,”  Lt. Jeff Powell, deputy commander of the McLean Police District, told the monthly meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee last week. “One guy had 27 credit cards on him.”

Second Lt. Anthony Matos, who led the  patrols said: “Keep your ID under lock and key."

Lt. Powell explained that thieves manage to steal the information embedded on your credit card or your debit card. They obtain blank credit cards and embed your information. Then they go shopping

A member of the CAC told the group she recently received a call from her credit company about a purchase made with her credit card information but she still had her card. Someone had copied her embedded information and made a new card.

Fairfax police held a press conference with Lt. Matos before Christmas to warn the neighbors about identity theft.

"If you’re using a debit card" and the information is copied "they are emptying your bank account," Lt. Powell told the nearly 20 members of the CAC.

During the 2010 Christmas season, this special team of police officers from the McLean District Station made 115 arrests and recovered nearly $200,000 worth of stolen merchandise at Tysons Corner Mall  Lt. Matos told the CAC last year.

Many of last year's arrests involved an organized group of thieves from New York City, said  Lt.  Matos. Tysons Corner I is the  the nation's 10th busiest shopping center in the U.S., Matos said.

Member of the CAC were surprised to learn from Lt. Powell that credit card  info is embedded in your hotel room keycard.

"The trend has been stealing very expensive things,” but this year it was ID theft, Lt. Powell said.

The Tysons Corner Team by the Numbers:

Number of Days team in operation          31         
Number of Officers assigned                   14         
Number of Persons Arrested                   83         
Number of Felony Charges                     63         
Number of Misdemeanor Charges           58         
Total number of Criminal Charges         121       
 
Amount of Stolen Property Recovered and/or Money Seized $44,977    

Police sent along these tips for protecting yourself against Identity Theft and other financial crimes:

Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Only you can eliminate a thief’s opportunity to steal your property, identity, and good name. Use the following tips to protect yourself against financial crimes:

• Don’t keep your PIN written down and near your credit or debit card
• Sign new credit/debit cards as soon as you get them
• Destroy old cards after expiration
• Diligently review all bank statements every month
• Never give your account information over the phone to someone you don’t know
• Never provide your PIN to anyone. Your bank or credit card company will never request it
• Make sure your credit/debit card is returned after each use
• Do not include your Social Security Number on your checks
• Do not write your credit card number on your check
• Get in the habit of inspecting to see whether any checks are missing from your checkbook or your check order
• Immediately notify your bank if a check is missing or if checks you ordered are not received
• Criminals who use scams for financial gain can be great con-artists. If a deal sounds to good to be true, it probably is
• Never allow anyone to work on your home/business until you have a signed  contract outlining the specific work to be done and a specific start and finish date
• Always get several estimates before accepting a contract for work on your home/business
• If you become a victim of financial crime, immediately contact your bank, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the three major Credit Reporting Agencies