“They were seen in town on Friday, but there’s no way to know if they’re local,” said Ruth Corley, public information officer with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
A news release said investigators with the sheriff’s office and Parker Police Department believe the perpetrators are using cards encoded with the stolen credit card information.
Four in the group are described as large black men seen traveling in a black, late-model Chevrolet Avalanche with chrome rims.
Two of them were captured on security cameras Friday as they made purchases using the encoded cards. Corley said the men used the cards at gas stations and grocery stores, among other places.
Hackers commonly sell stolen credit card information online. Criminals can load the information onto any card with a magnetic strip using a card reader, similar to how hotel room keys are loaded. Imposter cards then contain the account holder’s name, card number and security code.
“With the recent breaches in major retailers, it’s possible they obtained the information that way, but there’s no way to tell until we catch them,” Corley said.
She encourages local businesses to become members of the F.I.R.S.T. Program. The acronym stands for Financial Institutions and Retail businesses Stopping Theft. The program is a partnership between the sheriff’s office and businesses to prevent fraud and other crimes.
For instances of fraudulent cards or counterfeit currency, Corley said F.I.R.S.T. members receive email notifications about possible fraud, including photos or videos of suspicious use often before they become available to the media.
Banks or retailers interested in the program can contact Investigator Craig Romans at 850-248-2075 or at craig.romans@bayso.org.
Corley said often it’s not possible to know if a debit or credit card is counterfeit, but cashiers should alert their managers if they suspect a card is not legitimate.
Anyone with information about the fraudsters should contact the sheriff’s office at 850-747-4700 or Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS.
“We are asking for the public and retailers to pay special attention to this video or this picture to help identify these guys,” Corley said. “We think they may still be in town.”