OKC Police Uncover Elaborate Credit Card Scam

<p>Thieves targeted an Oklahoma City tourist and ended up taking a trip to jail. Investigators said&nbsp;what began as a break-in at a local hotel turned out to be a part of an elaborate credit card scam.</p>

Wednesday, September 28th 2016, 10:07 pm

By: News 9


Thieves targeted an Oklahoma City tourist and ended up taking a trip to jail.

Investigators said what began as a break-in at a local hotel turned out to be a part of an elaborate credit card scam.

Court records show the unsuspecting tourist checked into the Aloft Hotel in July.

In the middle of the night, he woke up to find his wallet, phone, keys were missing from the nightstand.

It's not clear how the thieves were able to get into the room but police found out they left in a stolen rental car.

Eventually, Adrianne Earle and Donald Vanvliet were arrested in the case.

Vanvleit was caught driving the stolen car and later told investigators he committed the crime with Earle.

In a two-month investigation, Oklahoma City police found the suspects stole more than the tourist's belongings.

Court records reveal they paid for the VIP room, at $1,700 per night, with stolen credit card information.

During their interrogations, both suspects admitted they stole the card information by "using an APP on their smartphone."

"The scammers are always going to find a way to steal credit card information, " said Assistant Attorney General Julie Bays.

Bays is the Chief of the Consumer Protection Unit at Oklahoma Attorney General's Office.

She thinks this is just the latest in a series of scams to steal Oklahomans identities.

The app, that will remain nameless in an effort to keep others from using it, generates random credit card numbers by finding at least four missing numbers.

It even reveals the issuing bank, country and card type.

"It just seems like it is endless every time we turn around we see a new scam," said Bays.

A disclaimer on the app's description states "the app is only for educational purpose and security awareness."

In Earle and Vanvliet's case, they are accused of using it for more than that.

So, Bays encourages cardholders to be vigilant. 

"The best way to protect yourself is to check your bank statements on a really regular basis," she said.

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office used to encourage people to check their statements monthly but it now advises cardholder check on a daily or, at the very least, weekly basis.

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