BURLINGTON, MA — Police in Burlington, MA, have arrested a jewelry store employee in connection with an alleged credit card scam.
Ariel Foster, 19, has been charged with larceny over $1,200, according to a press release from the Burlington Police Department.
On Feb. 22, detectives were called to Lovisa, a jewelry store in the Burlington Mall, for a report of a credit card machine breach.
An investigation determined that on three dates in February, items scanned at the register had their price increased, and the cost of the item was then allegedly refunded to a credit card belonging to Foster, according to the release. Eight transactions involved a total loss of $547,187.
More from the release:
Foster was an employee at Lovisa and was determined to have been at the store when the credit card breaches occurred.
A subpoena was served to Foster’s financial institutions, which uncovered a refund transaction from Lovisa America LLC into her bank account. Bank records showed that Foster made several high-priced transactions between Feb. 2 and Feb. 22, including the purchase of more than $35,000 for a Tesla, almost $6,000 to Delta Airlines, more than $20,000 to a hotel in Maui, Hawaii, and almost $5,000 in Louis Vuitton purchases.
On Wednesday, March 8, Burlington Police, along with Boston Police and Lasell University Police executed search warrants on the suspect’s residence and her dormitory at the university. Foster was taken into custody without incident.
Foster was released on bail and will likely be arraigned Friday at Woburn District Court.