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Olivia Baptiste and Michael Rampal are accused of victimizing bank customers
Police in South Jersey are urging residents to review their bank statements after a Florida couple was arrested in what investigators describe as a multi-state credit card fraud scheme.
Authorities say at least 14 victims in South Jersey have been identified, with more than $20,000 stolen so far.
Detectives expect those numbers to grow, noting that the pair allegedly targeted people along the East Coast.
Franklin Township police say the suspects - Olivia Baptiste, 24, and Michael Rampal, 29, - are accused of victimizing bank customers from Alabama to Massachusetts.
"Cases like this - they don't stop here. We have a lot to look into," Detective Sgt. Nicholas Pasculli said.
According to Pasculli, the scheme took place between November and December, when the suspects allegedly impersonated members of Newfield National Bank's security team and told victims their accounts had been compromised.
"They would spend 23 hours on the phone, essentially just confusing them and getting them worked up about their account information to where during the conversation they were able to obtain all the necessary information, including their debit card pin," he said.
Police say the couple then drove rented vehicles from Florida to New Jersey to carry out the fraud. Surveillance images show them buying hundreds of dollars in gift cards from Dollar Tree stores and making high-priced purchases at Best Buy. Investigators now estimate the total loss at more than $22,000.
"That's a lot of money. That's a lot," said Christopher Day of Millville. "I think it's sad because it's around the holidays, and a lot of people are losing out on money."
Pasculli said through surveillance video and transactions, they tracked down the suspects on Thursday. They were pulled over in a rented vehicle in Lower Paxton Township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on an unrelated drug charge. Detectives recovered more than 60 gift cards, 11 cell phones and a large amount of cash from the car.
Pasculli urged residents to be cautious when contacted about their financial accounts.
"My best advice would be to hang up, go to your local branch and verify that the information you're being told over the phone is accurate without giving your personal information out to anybody," he said.
Police said Newfield National Bank has strengthened its security measures and posted a fraud alert on its website. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of credit card fraud is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
Baptiste and Rampal are being held in Dauphin County prison as they await extradition to New Jersey. (ABC, but headline rejigged)