PLYMOUTH — Four one-time Boscov's employees have been charged with forgery and related offenses in connection with a scam in which customers' credit-card numbers were used to buy merchandise at the chain's new store in Plymouth Meeting Mall.
All told, police said, the four stole nearly $1,300 worth of goods from the store in late October and early November. The store opened Oct. 6. Two people were fired because of the thefts. The other two already were former Boscov employees.
Plymouth Police Detective Jeff McGee said the employees took the numbers either from the register tape or store receipt.
McGee said he believed the amount stolen was a lot more than $1,300. Just how much, he said, he does not know. Victims are just getting the October bills, he said.
``One lady went to use her MasterCard and found she was at her limit,'' McGee said yesterday. ``She knew she wasn't. She called the credit-card company, and they said [she] purchased $3,900 worth of stuff at Boscov's, and she didn't make those purchases.''
McGee said two other employees were fired for allowing stolen credit-card numbers to be used on their registers, and a third quit. McGee said he did not think those people would be charged.
The detective said the fraud was first discovered Nov. 1, when a Boscov's representative called police to say the store had detained two people, sales associate Damen Looney and former employee Daniel Armstrong.
According to court records, Armstrong, 18, of the 3900 block of Manayunk Avenue, Philadelphia, told police that he was paid $75 by another former Boscov's employee, later identified as John Hadley Jr., 31, of the 1900 block of South 14th Street, Philadelphia, to buy $440.82 worth of sporting goods on that day.
Armstrong took the merchandise to Looney, 18, of the 6200 block of Homer Street, Philadelphia, who was told that he would be paid to put the purchases on the stolen credit-card number, according to court records.
Police also learned that the day before, Armstrong had been in the store with Hadley. Together, they bought $853.26 worth of goods at the cash register of sales associate Gerald Zarzoso, 22, of the Logan West Apartments in Norristown. The stolen credit-card number was taped to a card resembling a credit card.
All four men have been arraigned and have either waived or had a preliminary hearing. Besides forgery, the charges include theft and conspiracy. All have been released on their own recognizance.
