OLYMPIA, Wash. – A 17-year-old McDonald’s employee on Monday was sentenced to 60 days in jail for skimming credit union credit cards at the drive-thru window to steal more than $13,000 from cardholders. He was also ordered to pay $13,000 restitution.
The teenager would swipe the drive thru customers’ credit cards twice – once to pay for an order, and then a second time on his own skimming device. The scheme took place between Oct. 10 and Nov. 9.
Police were able to pinpoint the location of the crimes after multiple members of Washington State Employees CU began filing claims for fraudulent credit card use despite not having lost their cards. Investigators realized a common link among victims was their purchases at the McDonald’s in question - and the fact the defendant was always working during the time of the crime.
The teen, whose name is undisclosed because he is a minor, has been in jailed since Nov. 16 because his parents have refused to post bail.
The young man used the stolen credit card numbers to purchase gift cards at stores such as Walmart and Toys R Us. He then used the gift cards to purchase thousands of dollars of items, which he would then sell on craigslist and eBay. Most of the fraudulently purchased items were iPads, computers, video game systems and expensive digital cameras, Graham said.
