A Taco Bell worker in Hartsville, South Carolina, is accused of getting photos of customers’ credit history playing cards and expending the stolen funds on herself, police say.
AP
A Taco Bell worker splurged on footwear, a cellular phone and electric scooter rides working with credit card info she stole from prospects, according to South Carolina authorities.
Laquawanda Hawkins, 36, worked the travel-via at a Taco Bell in Hartsville the place police stated she took pics of customers’ payment playing cards, even with her manager currently being just a few ft absent.
Law enforcement also pointed to surveillance video clip displaying Hawkins in the act.
An “assistant supervisor positively identified Hawkins as the worker working the push-thru and committing the thefts,” Hartsville officers wrote in a report attained by McClatchy News. “She is so brazen and slick about it that she even does it although the supervisor is appropriate powering her stocking cabinets.”
Hawkins was arrested June 17 on numerous counts of identity fraud, credit rating card selection theft and receiving products fraudulently received, in accordance to the law enforcement report. She was booked into the Darlington County Detention Middle and unveiled a few days later on right after submitting a $60,000 bond.
Officers were to start with alerted to the alleged thefts on June 6 right after a victim observed unauthorized expenses on her bank card after checking out the Taco Bell travel-via, according to the report. A copy of her assertion confirmed the fraudster attempted swiping her card at Pizza Hut and made use of it at an vehicle components store, in addition to racking up much more than $630 in Fowl Scooter rentals.
At minimum two other victims arrived ahead with similar issues of fraudulent fees, law enforcement claimed. One particular of them filed a police report soon after their card facts was used to fork out a metropolis drinking water monthly bill. A condition driver’s license submitted with the payment belonged to Hawkins, according to authorities.
“There was also other costs produced to the card … for Hen Scooters, McDonald’s and a grocery pickup from Walmart,” officers wrote.
Hawkins was brought in for questioning on June 17 and acknowledged taking shots of credit history and debit card quantities immediately after slipping behind on her rent and utilities, the police report states. She denied sharing the quantities with any one else but explained it was probable her stay-in boyfriend saw the pictures on her cellphone.
Hawkins also acknowledged purchasing “some shoes” and new phone on the internet, while she denied buying “as considerably things as (the victims) claimed,” officers wrote.
When questioned if other Taco Bell employees experienced stolen customers‘ credit score card info, Hawkins replied, “Probably.”
Taco Bell Corp. mentioned it is aware of the incident and can take “customer privacy severely.”
“The franchise owner and operator is working with the regional authorities and has knowledgeable us that the team member is no extended with the firm,” a organization spokesperson explained to McClatchy Information in a statement.
Hartsville is about 70 miles northeast of Columbia.
This story was at first released June 23, 2022 12:59 PM.
Tanasia is a nationwide True-Time reporter based in Atlanta covering information throughout Georgia, Mississippi and the southeastern U.S. Her sub-conquer is retail and client information. She’s an alumna of Kennesaw State College and joined McClatchy in 2020.