⚫ Cops say this was a premeditated scheme

⚫ Police say the suspect spoke with the victim twice during a shopping trip

⚫ Police hope the public will recognize the subject in surveillance photos


HOWELL — The online community is working to help police nab a man who allegedly stole a shopper's debit card and used it to withdraw thousands of dollars from the victim's bank account.

On Wednesday, the Howell Township Police Department used Facebook to share clear photos of the man in question.

Police are asking for the public's assistance with identifying him. By early Thursday, the post had been shared more than 400 times.

According to police, the incident wasn't just a crime of opportunity; the suspect set his eyes on a target in order to operate a scam that's playing out regularly across the country.

The incident occurred on the morning of July 27. Police say it took weeks to obtain the bank surveillance footage.

According to investigators, the subject in the photo followed an elderly man through the ShopRite supermarket on Route 9 and managed to get so close to the victim during checkout that he was able to see the man enter his PIN into the store's card reader.

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After that, police said, the subject got the victim's attention by pretending that the victim had dropped $20. Out in the parking lot, according to police, the suspect approached the victim again, allegedly stating that the $20 didn't actually belong to him.

During a back-and-forth between the two men, which was designed to distract the elderly victim, the suspect got his hands on the man's debit card, according to police.

ShopRite, Howell (Google Street View)
ShopRite, Howell (Google Street View)
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That same morning, he went to a Bank of America branch in Marlboro and withdrew approximately $9,000 from the victim's account, police said. Surveillance photos show the suspect smiling while making the transaction.

According to police, the suspect was only asked for a debit card and PIN, not a photo ID.

"This is what you've got to look out for," Detective Vincent Bonner told New Jersey 101.5. "All they need is your debit card and your PIN, and they've got everything."

Anyone with information related to this matter or the man in the photos is being asked to contact Detective Bonner at 732-938-4575, ext. 2647.

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