News Releases

Detectives Investigate Fraud Scheme Targeting Home Improvement Stores in Montgomery County; Surveillance Photos of Suspects Released

For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 11, 2019

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 4th District Patrol Investigations Unit are investigating approximately twelve reports of a fraud scheme that has occurred at home improvement stores throughout Montgomery County.   MCP investigators further believe that these same suspects may have committed similar fraud schemes at home improvement stores throughout the Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania areas with store losses totaling approximately $80,000.  Today, detectives are releasing surveillance photographs of the female suspects and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying them.

The investigation by MCP detectives determined that the suspects select merchandise from a home improvement store and present a voucher (which is later determined to be a fraudulent check) to the store clerk as a form of payment.  When the voucher is processed by the store employee and declined, the suspects then instruct the store’s employee on how to override the store’s point-of-sale system in order to accept the voucher/fraudulent check as payment.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspects is asked to contact the 4th District Patrol Investigations Unit at 240-773-5522.  For those who wish to remain anonymous, Crime Solvers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of these suspects.  Call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).  Tipsters may remain anonymous.

rlg/CTJ

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Release ID: 19-252
Media Contact: Rick Goodale 
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