JONESBORO, Ark. – All too often, we hear of thefts going unsolved but what seems like an accidental theft seemed to conclude with a happy ending Thursday afternoon, with the help of Jonesboro police.
It began around 2:20 p.m. Thursday afternoon at Tk’s Beauty & More, 2409 East Nettleton Avenue, in Jonesboro. A woman, 27, was checking out at the register and inserted her debit card into the chip reader many stores now require to be used. However, the new technology, designed to prevent fraud, ended up being the reason it almost took place.
As the reader requires the cardholder to leave the card inside of the machine for several seconds, our almost-victim walked out of the store after her purchase, completely forgetting her card.
Then, her cell phone sent her an alert less than a minute later of an $11.91 charge to her bank account.
The woman returned to the store but the owner refused to pay her back, saying it wasn’t his problem, according to the incident report. This is when Jonesboro Police Department were called to help resolve the situation.
JPD Officer Cheyenne Jordan spoke with the store owner and verified the charge was made. The owner said he wasn’t aware of the card being left in the reader, but the officer suggested he refund the 27-year-old her money, since she did not make a purchase. The officer reasoned with the man that he, too, was a victim. The man seemed to agree.
The group was also able to identify the potential-suspect in the case who had used the card, and through the victim’s Facebook profile, sent her a message stating she needed to pay Tk’s Beauty “or she would be charged with shoplifting.”
However, the officer checked back in with Tk’s Beauty later on and they confirmed she came back in and paid the $11.91 charge.
No arrests were made.
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