Balance Reward Points Tie Woman To Fake Walgreens Purchases: Cops

ORLAND PARK, IL -- A woman was arrested after she used a debit-credit card that she found at an Orland Park Walgreens to make fraudulent purchases, prosecutors said. Shannon Barrett, 23, appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on a forgery charge. The owner of the card accidentally left the card in the drawer at the Walgreens medical drive-up window.

According to the charges, on Oct. 10, Barrett scooped up the found card after she saw it in the drawer and proceed to purchase $900 worth of merchandise from Groupon. She also used the card to buy merchandise at Walgreens and Carson's, the prosecutor said. Several other alleged attempts to use the card were declined.

Orland Park police tracked Barrett down through her own Balance Rewards points, which she used to buy merchandise at Walgreens with the found debit-credit card, the prosecutor said. A Walgreens employee identified Barrett in a photo array. Barrett allegedly admitted to using the found card to make the fraudulent and declined purchases.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Barrett manages a gas station and attends Moraine Valley Community College. Bail was set at $3,000. Barrett is due back in court Dec. 21 in Bridgeview.