A suspected member of a group linked to repeated gift card fraud incidents at South Coast Plaza was arrested after allegedly attempting to use a fake California identification card to access a customer store account and purchase high-end luxury shoes, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.
Police said the suspect entered one of the luxury retailers at the shopping center and attempted to gain access to an existing store account. When officers contacted the individual and requested identification, the suspect allegedly presented the same fake California ID to officers as proof of identity. The suspect was then arrested.
Costa Mesa police noted that fake identification documents are frequently encountered in organized retail theft investigations and credited the arrest to cooperation between store security personnel and responding officers.
How This Alleged Scheme Works
While police have not released the suspect’s identity or specific charges, the incident appears consistent with a growing form of organized retail fraud that combines identity theft, account takeover, gift card fraud, and forged identification documents…