Couple busted scamming over dozen victims in multi-state credit card phishing spree
Just days before Christmas, a Florida couple is arrested for running a two-month vishing scam, racking up thousands of fraudulent credit card charges on the accounts of more than a dozen victims up and down the East Coast.
The Franklin Township Police Department announced the December 18th arrest earlier this week after catching the duo near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in a rented car with Florida plates. Inside the vehicle, cops found “a large sum of US currency, 68 gift cards, 11 cell phones, and one laptop.”
The suspects, 24-year-old Olivia Jean Baptiste of West Park, and 29-year-old Michael Rampal of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are accused of calling victims by phone and pretending to be the security team members of their local bank.
The crooked duo were said to have used mobile apps to disguise their cellular phone numbers as originating from the bank – a phishing technique known as spoofing.
During the voice phishing calls, otherwise known as "vishing," the pair would falsely claim the victims' credit card accounts had been compromised and then request personal information from the victims “for verification purposes.”
“Once they obtained enough personal data, they accessed victims' accounts and transferred funds onto gift cards purchased at dollar stores across the region,” detectives said.
The stolen funds were also used to purchase high-end items from a local Best Buy store.
Detectives say the two had been renting vehicles in Florida and then traveling to the New Jersey area to carry out the scheme.
Police say they became aware of the fraud campaign after victims began reporting the incidents, and that at least 14 victims have come forward so far. In total, over $22,000 has been reportedly siphoned from victims' accounts.
However, investigators expect the victim count to rise as the couple has been connected to other cases spanning multiple states, as far north as Massachusetts.
Currently being held in jail, Baptiste and Rampal are charged with credit card fraud, theft, and conspiracy, with more charges expected as the investigation continues.
The FTPD reminds people to never hand over any personal information about their bank accounts over the phone. “If you believe you are being scammed, hang up and contact your nearest banking branch for assistance,” they said.
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