Washinton- More than 65 customers of a Washington Blockbuster Video store became victims of identity theft after a store clerk allegedly stole their credit card numbers and other personal information.
Miles N. Holloman, 25, is accused of stealing the information from membership applications while employed at the Dupont Circle Blockbuster at 1639 P St. Northwest. He then used the information to rack up $117,000 in purchases, law enforcement officials said.
“Holloman allegedly purchased merchandise, ordered cellular telephone service, bought and maintained a car, obtained false driver’s licenses and counterfeit credit cards, fraudulently applied for automobile insurance and traveled,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Southeast man was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington and is charged with fraud, conspiracy, forfeiture and misuse of a Social Security number. If convicted, he faces a likely sentence of three to five years in prison.
An alleged co-conspirator, Marsheena Riggsbee, also was named in the indictment, but further details about the status of her case were not available.
Officials said the scheme began in February 2003 and lasted through at least April 2004.
During that time, prosectors said, Holloman ordered merchandise over the telephone using stolen credit card numbers and had items delivered to the victims’ addresses. Either Holloman or Riggsbee then would wait outside the victims’ homes and intercept the packages when they arrived, the indictment stated.
Holloman also is accused of ordering replacement credit cards, which federal prosecutors say he intercepted in the same manner.
The U.S. Postal Inspector brought the matter to the attention of law enforcement officials after postal carriers reported suspicious activity, said John McDonough, spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.
To prevent identity theft cases such as this, McDonough said consumers should “periodically check with credit card providers and check statements thoroughly to make sure there haven’t been any unauthorized purchases.”
Other tips include shredding documents with personal information before throwing them away, dropping outgoing mail in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox and occasionally checking up on personal credit reports by contacting one of three major credit bureaus.
McDonough also said consumers should never provide a Social Security number if it’s optional.
Blockbuster requests Social Security numbers on membership applications, but it is not mandatory.
A manager of the Dupont Circle Blockbuster said Monday he could not comment on the former employee implicated in this scheme or whether security measures are in place to protect customers from identity theft.
The $117,000 breakdown
Using credit card information stolen from Blockbuster customers, federal prosecutors say former employee Miles Holloman spent more than $117,000 on a variety of goods and services, including:
– A 2002 Mercedes Benz
– Auto insurance for the Mercedes
– Vacations to New York City, Las Vegas and Miami
– Cingular Wireless cellular phone service
– A $500 gift certificate to Saks outlet Off 5th
– A $1,000 gift certificate to Best Buy