Identity Theft Crew Hits Orland Square Apple Store: COPS

ORLAND PARK, IL -- A New Jersey man recognized was arrested after he purchased three iPhones at the Orland Square Apple store using another man’s social security number, reports said. Limbert Reynosa, 31, of Pleasantville, NJ, was one of several people who police said had recently arrived in the Chicago area as part of an identity theft crew. Reynosa is facing felony charges.

Orland Park police were sent to the Apple Store at Orland Square Mall around 3 p.m. Oct. 18 in response to a possible identity theft in progress. Apple’s loss prevention officer told police he recognized the man, later identified as Reynosa, from an attempted identity theft in Northbrook, reports said. Reynosa had apparently provided a passport in his own name as a form of identification. He allegedly asked for three new iPhone upgrades and presented a social security number. The man asked to finance the phones on his AT&T account but wanted to pay the sales tax in cash, police said.

The loss prevention officer told Orland Park police that Reynosa was still working with a sales associate and the transactions would take awhile to process, reports said. While Reynosa was purchasing the phones, the Orland Park cop ran his personal information through a law enforcement database and learned Reynosa’s true social security number, which the officer said was different from the one Reynosa presented to purchase phones.

The account to which Reynosa was trying to upgrade the phones belonged to an individual in Suffolk, VA, according to the billing address, police said. The police officer and an Orland Park detective positioned themselves outside the store. They waited for Reynosa to complete the transactions for the three iPhone 8s, according to the report. The loss prevention office notified police when Reynosa was leaving the store. Reynosa was stopped outside the store allegedly carrying an Apple bag.

Reynosa was taken into custody. The three new iPhones were inside the bag as well as three separate transaction receipts and three sales contracts, police said. Police searched Reynosa’s wallet, where they found his social security card with his name and number on it. Police also found a credit card in Reynosa’s wallet that didn’t belong to him, reports said.

Police interviewed the store associate who assisted Reynosa on the sales floor. The store associate told the officer that Reynosa was able to provide her with a social security number. The store associate also added that the loss prevention officer had asked her to report which AT&T account he asked her to upgrade, reports said. Reynosa allegedly used a passport in his name and was able to verbally provide the social security number three times as well as typed it into the computer system. Reynosa reportedly asked to finance the balance of $949 for each phone on the AT&T account. He paid the $92.53 tax in cash and signed the contracts before leaving the store, reports said.

Reynosa was taken to the Orland Park police station. Police spoke to the individual in Virginia, who said he never gave Reynosa permission to use his social security number. The Virginia man wanted to sign a complaint. The rest of the report was redacted.

Reynosa appeared in court on Oct. 19, where was released on a $10,000 I-bond. He’s due back in court Nov. 10 in Bridgeview.