Felony Charges for Woman Who Used Altered Credit Cards at Ulta

GENEVA, IL — Employees at an Ulta store in Geneva called authorities after a shopper began requesting pricey merchandise in a move that had been reported by other stores in the area, according to the Kane County Chronicle. Kaylana Giwa, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, is accused of trying to use an altered credit card on June 7 at Ulta Cosmetics, 1560 S. Randall Road, Geneva, to buy $13,000 worth of merchandise. While at the store, Gina and a shopping companion requested two $500 Dyson hair dryers and stocked her cart with expensive perfume, requesting more from the stock room from employees, according to the article.

The behavior was similar to other reported incidents in the Chicago area so employees called Ulta’s loss prevention department. Ulta sent over a bulletin with photos of the suspects and employees at the Geneva called police after confirming they were the same people, according to the article.

Police obtained a search warrant and allegedly learned five credit cards on Giwa, who was checking out when authorities arrived, had numbers on the back magnetic strip that did not match the account numbers embossed on the fronts of the credit cards, according to the news report.

Giwa has been charged with five counts of altering a credit card or debit card in Kane County.

More via the Kane County Chronicle