A phony credit card scam was brought to a halt on Sunday when Hanford police were alerted to a trio of alleged identity thieves who were using prepaid credit cards to burglarize local stores. Two Fresno women and their accomplice were caught apparently using prepaid credit cards and more than 50 disposable credit card numbers to purchase video game consoles, hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards and other expensive merchandise Sunday afternoon.

Patrol Officer Ryan Tomey said the credit cards, which can be purchased at many convenience stores, work in a similar fashion to store gift cards.

"Normally, you buy one with a certain amount of money that the clerk credits to the card," Tomey said. "You can't go over that amount. But, the problem is, they look a lot like a regular credit card. And if the party gives you some phony credit card numbers that haven't been reported as stolen, then store owners will accept them and won't find out they've been robbed until a month later."

The scheme was ultimately foiled in part by a Blockbuster Video clerk, who reportedly grew suspicious when one of the women stormed out of the store following a request for an additional form of payment.

"The clerk thought it was suspicious, especially since she walked out to a waiting vehicle with other people inside," Tomey said. "So, he noted down their license plate number with the exception of a single letter and gave us a description of the vehicle."

Officers located the group at 5:42 p.m. in the parking lot of a cigarette store on West Lacey Boulevard. All three suspects were apprehended without incident.

Nichole Tracy Stay, 30, and Jacquelyn Denise Cruz, 31, were arrested on suspicion of impersonation for financial gain, commercial burglary and fraudulent use of a credit card. Cruz was also picked up on suspicion of driving on a suspended or revoked license. They were booked into the Kings County Jail on bails exceeding $130,000.

A third party, Mark Plenys, was also taken into police custody, but additional information about his arrest was not available Wednesday. Kings County Jail officials said they are not holding a person by that name.

Officers said this was one of the first instances they've seen of people trying to pull this scam in Hanford, but similar attempts at identity theft have come up before.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Feb. 5, 2009)