Larchmont Staples Cashier Charged With Credit Card Skimming

Update: 2/2 - People who have patronized the Larchmont Staples store between May and December 2011 using a credit card should check their statements for unknown or fradulent purchases, said Westchester County Police Spokesperson Kieran O'Leary.

The third party who obtained the stolen credit card information has not yet been arrested.  The Secret Service are continuing their investigation. 

A 21-year-old cashier at the may have been inspecting her customer’s credit cards a little too closely, said Westchester County Police, and not because she was trying to prevent fraudulent use.

The cashier, 21-year-old Valerie Fajardo of 2255 Morris Ave. in the Bronx, was arrested at 1:45 p.m. today at the store on 2444 Boston Post Rd. after being charged with using a skimming device to obtain the credit card information of 50 customers at the store. She then sold the information to a third party who used it to create fake credit cards, charging $181,800 in total, said the press release sent out by county police. The device was seized from Fajardo’s home.

The fraud occurred between May and December 2011.

Fajardo was charged with two felonies: first degree criminal possession of a forgery device and first degree scheme to defraud as well as numerous misdemeanors: 50 counts of unlawful possession of personal identification and 50 counts of petty larceny.

She was arraigned today in and is being held in lieu of bail at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

Special Agent Sydney Dreasky of the U.S. Secret Service and Citibank fraud investor James Murphy assisted in the investigation.