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MCAO: California couple charged in 6-state, $80,000 Target price-switching scam

Posted at 1:42 PM, Mar 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-09 18:40:43-04

GILBERT, AZ — A California couple has been charged in a six-state, $80,000 pricing-switching scam involving Target stores, including multiple locations in the Valley.

Last week, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office charged a California couple with scamming Maricopa County Target stores, resulting in a total loss of over $16,000.

Court records show that Anthony Garcia Madrigal, 47, and Kerstin Keesing, 45, would purchase high-end bed sheet and comforter sets then return them. They would then buy a $10 sheet set and use the receipt from the high-end sets, switch the barcodes, and return the cheaper sets for the cash.

Target investigators say the couple used this technique at Target stores in Arizona, California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada. Police say ATM records show the couple averaging $6,250 a month.

Target estimates the total loss at over $81,000.

Police say they found the couple in possession of barcode printers, sheet sets with fake barcodes over the real barcodes, receipts, and "large amounts of cash."

The couple was charged last week with retail theft, fraud, and trafficking in stolen property.

They are scheduled to make their first court appearance on April 2.