Fake Target Employee Stole $40,000 In Merchandise, Police Say

The suspect walked directly to the stockroom, where she allegedly filled a box with dozens of iPhones.
Mike Blake / Reuters

A woman posing as a Target store employee scammed the superstore out of thousands of dollars in merchandise, authorities in Virginia said.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the unidentified woman “portrayed herself as an employee” when she walked into a Target store in Alexandria on March 15. Wearing khakis and a black shirt, similar to what Target employees wear, she managed to gain access to the stock room, where she allegedly filled a box with dozens of iPhones.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect leaving the store. When employees realized what happened, they notified police and the company’s corporate headquarters.

The value of the haul, authorities said, totaled about $40,000.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect leaving the store.
Surveillance cameras captured the suspect leaving the store.
Fairfax County Police Department

”The suspect is not affiliated with the store, but appeared to have knowledge of the store’s procedures, employee hours and the location of the iPhones in the stockroom,” Fairfax police said in a press release.

Target has been targeted by thieves impersonating employees before.

In October 2015, a man posing as an employee entered a Target in Sandy Springs, Georgia. After convincing customer service it was his first day on the job, he allegedly walked out with nearly $18,000 in cell phones. The same man reportedly pulled a similar scam at another Target, netting a much bigger haul, worth nearly $30,000.

Contacted by The Huffington Post on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department said no additional details about the most recent theft are being released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-691-2131.

David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.

Before You Go

LOADINGERROR LOADING

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot