On Saturday, March 9, 2019, the Bossier Financial Crimes Task Force launched an investigation into a suspected cloned credit/debit card scheme after receiving a report of theft from a local bank. Two suspects used cloned credit/debit cards at an ATM location in Bossier Parish to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash defrauding victims in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, California, New York, Michigan, and Ohio. The task force is made up of officers of the Bossier City Police Department and deputies of the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office. Investigators say over the course of two days the suspects made 106 attempts to withdraw cash from an ATM; 19 of the transactions were approved for a total of $5,620 dollars stolen.
Task force members were able to pin point their location Sunday. Patrol deputies with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office intercepted the vehicle and took the suspects, two 17-year-olds, into custody. During a search of the car, task force members located dozens of re-encoded credit/debit cards hidden inside a panel of the vehicle. The teenagers are each charged with racketeering and 62 counts of monetary instrument abuse. The juveniles are being housed at the Ware Youth Center detention facility. Bail has not yet been set. The case remains under investigation and additional charges are pending.
In January, the Bossier Financial Crimes Task Force arrested a 15-year-old juvenile male on six counts of monetary instrument abuse and two other arrests were made in similar cases last week. Detectives are sharing this information in an effort to alert financial institutions and other law enforcement agencies who may be working similar crimes. Credit card holders are reminded to always practice credit card security, check accounts often, check credit reports regularly, and report any suspicious charges or activity that they may see on their statements or at ATMs.