GILROY
– Three thieves with stolen identities got
”
instant credit
”
American Express cards at Costco Wholesale and charged thousands
of dollars in merchandise to three different victims, according to
city police.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Three thieves with stolen identities got “instant credit” American Express cards at Costco Wholesale and charged thousands of dollars in merchandise to three different victims, according to city police.
In the first incident, reported to police at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, someone bought $8,751 worth of merchandise on a credit card obtained at Costco using false information.
At 12:45 p.m. Thursday, police received two similar reports, with purchases in the amounts on $10,507 and $189.
“It all happened boom, boom, boom, back to back,” said Costco Supervisor Candace Evans
Costco, at 7251 Camino Arroyo, has a partnership with American Express which allows Costco members to apply for credit cards in the store and instantly find out whether they are approved or denied.
Costco requires people applying for such credit cards to show photo identification matching the name on the credit card application, Evans said. Costco also takes the applicants’ photos and puts them on their Costco membership cards.
Evans wasn’t sure exactly how these particular cases of false identity slipped by, but she said they were the first such thefts she knows of at the Gilroy Costco, which opened last February.
