Burglars hit retailer for $23K in Apple tech
Three men raided a Chicago area Target store and stole dozens of Apple products worth more than $23,000 just before closing time, according to local media reports. Around 10:15 pm, three men entered a Target store in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb located northwest of Chicago. One of the men distracted the electronics department employee, while the other two broke into display cases containing various Apple products, according to the Chicago Daily Herald.
The burglars simply walked out of the store after the raid, police said. Authorities were notified about 20 minutes later. Currently, no arrests have been made. All in all, police said the men made off with about 50 Apple products in total during the smash-and-grab heist. That included 25 iPad models valued at around $550 each and 25 Apple Watch models valued at around $400 each. According to reports, the men appeared to be in their mid-20s and were wearing black or dark colored clothing. Local police also released video surveillance stills of the men on the website, and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 847.882.3534. [Source: iDrop News]
Gun-toting suspects get away after brandishing weapon
The San Antonio Police Department and Crime Stoppers need your assistance in locating two shoplifting suspects after one of them pointed a gun at loss prevention associates at North Star Mall. Investigators say two men were stealing from the Macy’s store when they were confronted by loss prevention associates.
One of the suspects was taken into custody and handcuffed, but the other man pulled out a gun and pointed it at the LP associates. They left the handcuffed man go and the pair got away. A reward of up to $5,000 is now being offered for information that leads to the arrests of the suspects. If you have information in the case, call Crime Stoppers at 210.224.STOP. Source: Fox29 News]
Online holiday shoppers spent record $126 billion
US shoppers spent a record $126 billion on online shopping during the 2018 holiday season, taking advantage of early discounts on Amazon and other websites and with more people using smartphones to place their orders, Adobe Analytics said on Tuesday. Adobe, which collects its data by measuring 80 percent of all online transactions from the top 100 U.S. web retailers, said the amount was 16.5 percent higher than last year’s total. Mobile platforms made up 51 percent of traffic to retail websites during the November-December period and were responsible for nearly a third of all online spending.
Online shoppers spent $3.7 billion on Thanksgiving and $6.2 billion on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday, the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, was the biggest US online shopping day ever, with $7.9 billion spent. Consumers spent an average 40 percent more per day during the three weeks after Cyber Monday than in the first three weeks of the season, Adobe said. Sales continued to grow until December 17. [Source: Reuters]
Nationwide credit card ring busted; $3M stolen, 3 arrested
Three members of an alleged nationwide stolen credit card ring that has made $3 million in unauthorized purchases were arrested in New Rochelle, New York. The alleged leader, Hamilton Eromosele, was charged in federal court in White Plains with aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Youssouf “Slim” Traore and Deja Monet Handsford were accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They were arrested at an undisclosed apartment in New Rochelle and charged on the basis of warrants issued by US District Court in Newark. Discover credit cards were found throughout the apartment, according to a U.S. Secret Service agent’s affidavit, and several more had been thrown out a window.
Eromosele, also known as Emmanuel Eromosele and as Donald Sele, according to a criminal complaint, is a leader of a stolen credit card network. He allegedly obtained credit cards on the “dark web” and from other sources, recruited women on social media sites, arranged for them to travel to various cities, collected the goods they bought, sold the merchandise and paid the women a percentage of the profits. “To date,” the criminal complaint states, “the total amount of stolen credit card purchases confirmed as part of the conspiracy is approximately $3 million. The defendants have had previous encounters with law enforcement. [Source: Westfair Online]
Mother, daughter shoplifting duo arrested
Niagara Falls Police reported they arrested a girl for shoplifting at Walmart and charged her mother with creating a disturbance inside the store. Store officials told police they watched the two load items worth $210 into a shopping cart and detained the girl when she attempted to take the cart out of the store without paying.
While the girl was being questioned in an office, police said her mother, who appeared intoxicated, refused requests to leave and repeatedly yelled obscenities. Police said they charged Shaquina S. Hill, 29, of 19th Street, with disorderly conduct. She was taken to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center for evaluation. The girl was turned over to her great-grandmother and will be petitioned to Family Court. [Source: The Buffalo News]
Employee charged with merchandise theft
A North Carolina Victoria’s Secret employee is accused of stealing while on the job. Police say more than $650 in bras, panties, hoodies and leggings were stolen from the Eastridge Mall shop. Destiny Ladelle Glen, 20, is accused of stealing the lingerie for her own use. It’s not the first time someone is accused of stealing from the Gastonia underwear shop. The store had reported 18 such thefts in the 12 months between June 2017 and June 2018. Glen, of Grover, is charged with felony larceny by employee. She was booked into Gaston County Jail before being released on an unsecured bond. [Source: Gastonia Gazette]