Burger King Credit Card Theft Ring Uncovered

The Burger King drive thru may be a quick way to grab food on the go, but for some customers in Woodbury, Minnesota, lately it’s also been a quick way to get ripped off. That’s not a commentary on the menu prices — these customers rolled into the drive thru with credit cards, and rolled off without them, only to discover hefty charges later.

According to the Woodbury Bulletin, two Burger King employees have been charged after the police initiated investigation into the thefts. Prechez Ariane Natira Anderson and Deantre Rickey-Rene Squalls have both been charged with aiding and abetting financial card fraud.

The investigation began when a Burger King customer discovered her credit card had been used to purchase a television from Walmart, and discovered that her Burger King purchase was the last legitimate use of the card.

Police found the credit card in the safe at Burger King, Fox Twin Cities reports, but as they continued to follow up on the case, they became increasingly interested in two employees, Anderson and Squalls.

When they matched one of the suspects, and his car, to a security video showing him picking up the fraudulently purchased television, as the Brainerd Dispatch reports, they descended.

The two were ultimately linked to what appears to be an identity theft ring, and are accused of using their jobs at Burger King to help further the efforts of the ring. At a nearby location, police found 17 social security cards, as well as drivers licenses, birth certificates, applications for further documents, and a receipt for a storage facility, where police found the television set and other electronic goods.

Though there are a number of high tech ways that thieves access consumers’ credit card data, this case emphasizes a few of the precautions that one can take to reduce the risk.

For one, checking that you have your credit card after a purchase is at least as important as checking your bag to make sure you got the right burger. This applies when shopping anywhere, and whether driving through or paying inside at the counter.

Keeping tabs on purchases made with your card is another key. This can be a layer of protection even if you have your card in hand, since scammers can steal the information without having the card.

In this case, though the Burger King customer didn’t notice her missing card right away, discovering it quite soon afterward, and following up by checking purchases made with it, likely saved her a great deal of grief, and certainly contributed to the police department’s discovery of the theft ring.

[photo credit: Stilfehler at wikivoyage shared]